SFB 1411:  Design of particulate products

• Subject Area: Thermal Engineering/Process Engineering ; Chemistry ; Materials Science and Engineering ; Mathematics ; Physics
• Term: since 2020
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 416229255

The long-term vision of CRC 1411 is the predictive design of particulate products, i.e., particle systems with controlled size, shape, and composition. This objective will be achieved by a two-step approach. First, predictive models describing structure-property functions are established and used to optimise the required particle structure for a specific target function, i.e., a desired product property. Second, a set of predictive models describing the process-structure functions subsequently determine optimised process conditions to fabricate particle systems with the desired structure. This challenge is approached by four strongly interlinked research areas (RAs), focussing on particle formation (RA A), their chromatographic separation (RA B), comprehensive characterisation (RA C), and modelling and optimisation (RA D). In the first funding period, CRC 1411 made significant progress towards the targeted predictive design of particulate products. These scientific breakthroughs were realised using comparatively well-behaved model systems, such as isotropic particles, size exclusion chromatography, or structure optimisation of particle arrangements as thin films. Having successfully established general methodologies, infrastructure and collaborations, CRC 1411 is now perfectly set to address several step changes. In the second funding period, we will target the continuous fabrication of anisotropic particle systems, their integrated processing and the establishment of powerful, interaction chromatography schemes, which promises enhanced NP separation capabilities. In addition, the role of dispersities and non-idealities in structure formation will be a central new motive in the second funding period. By fundamentally understanding the selforganisation of particulate building blocks across the scales and by exploring how structural irregularities influence functional properties in colouration or chromatographic separation, we will ultimately be able to mitigate such effects and design robust processes with optimised performance. The excellent research environment including five interdisciplinary centres at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), the NanoEnergieTechnikZentrum (NETZ) at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) and the Helmholtz Institute for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) provides the ideal platform for CRC 1411. Evidenced by a broad network of international partners and a set of international conferences and workshops, we have firmly established CRC 1411 as a highly visible research centre for the design of particulate products. With the modern and interdisciplinary integrated research training group, a pioneering data infrastructure, a coherent set of measures supporting gender equality and a family-friendly working environment, and a dedicated out-reach project, CRC 1411 actively shapes particle technology as well as the profile of FAU and the involved institutes.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Current projects

• A01 - Continuous synthesis and structure formation for coloured particles (Project Heads Peukert, Wolfgang ;  Segets, Doris ;  Vogel, Nicolas )
• A02 - Tailored hierarchical semiconductors (Project Head Segets, Doris )
• A03 - Continuous flow synthesis of patchy particles with designed resonances and interactions (Project Head Klupp Taylor, Robin )
• A04 - From nanoparticulate MOFs to the assembly of multifunctional supraparticles (Project Heads Hartmann, Martin ;  Mandel, Karl Sebastian )
• A05 - Defined self-assembly of structural colour pigments (Project Head Vogel, Nicolas )
• B01 - Synthesis of hierarchical porous materials for nanoparticle chromatography (Project Heads Hartmann, Martin ;  Vogel, Nicolas )
• B02 - Creation of functional particles and porous structures by spray printing (Project Head Bück, Andreas )
• B03 - Textural properties of porous materials for particle chromatography (Project Head Thommes, Matthias )
• B04 - Fundamentals of nanoparticle chromatography (Project Heads Hartmann, Martin ;  Peukert, Wolfgang )
• B05 - Process concepts for size-selective nanoparticle chromatography (Project Head Kaspereit, Malte )
• C01 - Scale-bridging 3D characterisation of hierarchical stationary phase materials (Project Heads Apeleo Zubiri, Benjamin ;  Spiecker, Erdmann )
• C02 - Characterisation of functionalised surfaces (Project Heads Hartmann, Martin ;  Thommes, Matthias ;  Wisser, Dorothea )
• C03 - Characterisation of diffusion of nanoparticles (Project Head Fröba, Andreas Paul )
• C04 - Multidimensional characterisation of nanoparticle ensembles (Project Heads Peukert, Wolfgang ;  Walter, Johannes )
• C05 - Analytical, correlative and in situ microscopy of functional particle systems (Project Head Spiecker, Erdmann )
• D01 - Molecular modelling of surface and particle interactions (Project Head Smith, Ana-Suncana )
• D02 - Modelling transport of nanoparticles (Project Head Harting, Jens )
• D03 - Unifying mathematical framework for synthesis and chromatographic separation of nanoparticles (Project Head Pflug, Lukas )
• D04 - Modelling particle aggregation and assembly into optimal structures (Project Head Engel, Michael )
• D05 - Topology, material and shape optimisation for particle ensembles (Project Head Stingl, Michael )
• D06 - Quality control by robust optimisation (Project Head Liers, Frauke )
• INF - Information management and computational science support (Project Heads Spiecker, Erdmann ;  Stingl, Michael )
• MGK - Integrated research training group in particle science and technology (Project Head Klupp Taylor, Robin )
• Z - Central tasks of the Collaborative Research Centre (Project Heads Peukert, Wolfgang ;  Vogel, Nicolas )
• Ö - Outreach activities of the Collaborative Research Center (Project Head Magnabosco, Giulia )

• Applicant Institution: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
• Participating University: Universität Duisburg-Essen; Universitätsallianz Ruhr (UA Ruhr)
• Participating Institution: Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH; Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung (IEK); Helmholtz-Institut Erlangen-Nürnberg für Erneuerbare Energien (HI ERN)
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Nicolas Vogel