Scientists from Bayreuth have developed a new method for studying liquid and soft matter using artificial intelligence. In a study now published in the renowned journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America" (PNAS), they open up a new chapter in density functional theory with their "neural functional theory".
Bayreuth researchers have found ways to control tiny particles in liquids using magnetic patterns. The research results have now been published in the renowned journal „Nature Communications“ under the title „Simultaneous and independent topological control of identical microparticles in non-periodic energy landscapes“. Overall, the simultaneous and independent transport of colloidal particles over magnetic patterns can be of great use in various fields of science and technology to produce customised materials, improve biomedical applications, perform laboratory tests or investigate fundamental scientific questions.
A team from the Rudolf Virchow Zentrum – Center for Integrative and Translational Bioimaging at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg, led by Dr Gerti Beliu and Professor Markus Sauer, presents a groundbreaking advance for the world of high-resolution fluorescence microscopy: The innovative method enables researchers for the first time to use biomolecules as molecular rulers to calibrate the latest super-resolution microscopy methods, which have a resolution of just a few nanometres.
In a ground-breaking study led by the University of Bayreuth researchers, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Edinburgh, UK, and the University of Linköping, Sweden, the mysteries of nitrogen’s solid phases were solved, shedding light on its complex behaviour. Their findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, provide unprecedented insights into the gradual molecular-to-polymeric transformation of nitrogen and the formation of amorphous nitrogen. This paves the way for advances in materials science and high-pressure physics.
In power engineering and space technology, the lubrication of moving machine elements is a particular challenge: the usual greases or oils have the disadvantage here that they evaporate in a vacuum and at high temperatures, while they lose their lubricating effect at very low temperatures. Therefore, solid lubricants are often needed. A new project at the University of Bayreuth aims to make a fundamental contribution to optimisation in this field, which has been little researched so far. Bayreuth’s Engineering Design and CAD research group is cooperating with the Institute of Materials Engineering at the University of Kassel and the Computer Chemistry Centre at FAU Erlangen-Nuremberg.
New method for pollutants such as crude oil, glyphosate, microplastics and hormones
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth, together with partners in China and the USA, have produced an oxide glass with unprecedented toughness. Under high pressures and temperatures, they succeeded in paracrystallizing an aluminosilicate glass: The resulting crystal-like structures cause the glass to withstand very high stresses and are retained under ambient conditions. Paracrystallization thus proves to be a promising process for producing extremely break-resistant glasses. In "Nature Materials", the researchers present their findings, in which the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) in Hamburg also participated.
Aluminium-plastic composite (APL) films are very often used for food packaging, but they pose a challenge when it comes to plastic recycling. Researchers led by Bayreuth-based physical chemist Prof. Dr. Markus Retsch have now developed an upcycling process that gives such films an innovative second use. An easy-to-apply coating transforms used APL packaging into high-performance, versatile cooling films that counteract another global problem: the high energy demand for cooling systems. The research results are presented in the journals "ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering" and "Advanced Materials Technologies".
Organic electronics can make a decisive contribution to decarbonization and, at the same time, help to cut the consumption of rare and valuable raw materials. To do so, it is not only necessary to further develop manufacturing processes, but also to devise technical solutions for recycling as early on as the laboratory phase. Materials scientists from Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) are now promoting this circular strategy in conjunction with researchers from the UK and USA in the renowned journal “Nature Materials”.
Lithium-oxygen batteries, often hailed as the future of rechargeable energy storage, presently face limitations that prevent their widespread adoption. One of these significant constraints is the occurrence of large overpotentials experienced during the charging process. This means that the voltage needed for charging increases substantially implying low efficiency. In a new study published in the journal "Chem", Prof. Dr. Francesco Ciucci of the University of Bayreuth and research partners in China have for the first time been able to identify and explain the causes of these overpotentials.
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