Max Planck Institutes and Experts

In spring 2020, group leader Frank Drewnick started a research series at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, which was spontaneously initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this series, they investigated everyday materials for their suitability for face masks to support the selection of materials and to better understand which factors influence their efficacy. The group repurposed measuring instruments which they normally use to analyze the properties of atmospheric aerosol particles to measure the filter efficiency and pressure drop of household materials.

Two-dimensional (2D) ferroics displaying magnetic, ferroelectric, or ferroelastic order have recently been discovered. These materials are attracting tremendous interest in the research community both because of the novel physics they host, as well as their potential for next generation nanoelectronics. Our institute explores, synthesizes and characterizes novel 2D ferroics with the aim of using them in innovative energy-efficient devices.

Hollow core photonic crystal fibres have long been a topic of intensive investigation at MPL. These glass structures, with a complex lattice of hollow channels running along their length, permit light to be guided with high precision in a central hollow core. A series of experiments have shown that, when filled with gas, the fibres can be used in many interesting and novel ways, for example, forming the basis of table-top sources of ultrashort femtosecond pulses running at very high repetition rates, with a spectral brightness two to five orders of magnitude greater than most synchrotrons.

The production of hydrogen or the generation of energy from molecular hydrogen could be important processes in future energy storage systems, such as those already used in hydrogen-powered cars. At the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research we have taken a closer look at the processes taking place on molecular length scales and thus gained fundamental insights into the chemical reactions at electrodes.

Dry methane reforming (DMR) offers a way to convert harmful greenhouse gases into industrially useful syngas. Therefore, there is a growing interest in nickel-based catalysts for DMR. Microscopic studies have shown how a bimetallic NiCo catalyst changes during activation and subsequent DMR reaction. This involves the transformation from an alloy to a segregation of Co and Ni. The addition of Co increases stability, inhibits coking and modulates the electronic structure of Ni in the process.