The FAU centre will now be available to even more researchers

The Erlangen Center for Functional Particle Systems is being expanded into a core facility. This will enable researchers from other institutes to also use the equipment.

According to a press release from the Erlangen Center for Functional Particle Systems (FPS), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg to the Core Facility. In the future, researchers from other scientific institutions will also be able to make greater use of the center's expertise and technical equipment. This will make the FPS, located at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU), a technology platform and hub for national and international particle research. The German Research Foundation (DFG) is funding the project with almost one million euros.

Why is particle research important?

Functional particle systems have biological, chemical and physical properties that make them promising building blocks for new high-performance materials. These include, for example, efficient catalysts for process engineering, materials for energy conversion such as electrodes for fuel cells and high-performance solar cells, as well as batteries for energy storage. But functional particle systems also have a wide range of applications in the life sciences, for example in food technology, pharmaceuticals, nanomedicine and biotechnology.

“Erlangen is an international heavyweight and beacon in the research of complex particle systems,” says Dr. Johannes Walter, scientific coordinator of the Erlangen Center for Functional Particle Systems (FPS). “With the establishment of the Core Facility, we will further expand this position into a technology platform and hub for international scientists to meet and network.”

Which areas work together?

The future core facility under the direction of Prof. Dr. Martin Hartmann will combine three central areas of expertise in particle research in Erlangen: the synthesis of nanomaterials specifically for chemical and biochemical catalysis represented by Prof. Dr. Martin Hartmann, the analysis of porous nanostructures for separation and storage processes represented by Prof. Dr. Matthias Thommes, and the comprehensive particle characterization and functionalization of particle surfaces represented by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Peukert and Prof. Dr. Nicolas Vogel. These disciplines have been working together in the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1411 “Product Design of Disperse Systems” since 2020.

How do other universities benefit from this?

The promotion of core facilities is primarily aimed at making research infrastructures more accessible and at making resources more widely available. The equipment centers not only provide external scientists with advice, they also make their highly complex technology available for research work. The FPS has developed methods for producing and characterizing functional surfaces, particle systems and porous materials.

These include, for example, fluorescence spectroscopes for characterizing chemical substances, ultracentrifuges for investigating particle behavior in liquids, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopes for characterizing particle surfaces, and devices for comprehensive pore structure analysis and the characterization of surface properties such as topography, chemical composition, or wetting. This highly specialized infrastructure is expensive, complex to operate, requires special know-how, and is therefore not available at every research location.

Who else can use the facility?

“Our usage concept envisages three categories,” explains Johannes Walter. “First, comprehensive cooperation with other institutions, second, commissioned measurements for users from industry and research, and third, method development and application provision for external users.” The future cooperation partners include not only scientific institutions, but also interested parties from industry.

Walter: “The DFG funding is primarily start-up funding, which will enable the establishment of three postdoc positions, for example.” But funds are also provided for public relations work. This funding will enable the competence in the characterization of particles, pores and surfaces to be strengthened in the long term and research projects to be advanced. Open doors for school projects, information events and holiday programs help to convey the enthusiasm of researchers to the wider public.

Participating scientists and institutes:

Martin Hartmann
Erlangen Center for Interface Research and Catalysis

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Peukert and Prof. Dr. Nicolas Vogel
Chair of Solid and Interfacial Process Engineering

Matthias Thommes
Chair of Thermal Process Engineering

Further information:
John Walter
Erlangen Center for Functional Particle Systems (FPS)
Phone: 09131/85-70480
[email protected]