news 2021

Platinum-free biocatalyst for fuel cells and water electrolysis An enzyme could make a dream come true for the energy industry: It can efficiently produce hydrogen using electricity and can also generate electricity from hydrogen. The enzyme is protected by embedding it in a polymer. An international research team with significant participation of scientists from Technical University of Munich (TUM) has presented the system in the renowned science journal Nature Catalysis.

A team of physicists and chemists has developed a highly sensitive sensor, which was made possible by a new heterostructure consisting of atomically precise graphene nanoribbons / Publication in 'Nature Communications' An international research team led by the University of Cologne has succeeded for the first time in connecting several atomically precise nanoribbons made of graphene, a modification of carbon, to form complex structures.

Fighting the coronavirus has changed the way the international scientific community works together and intensified collaboration. Dr. Andrea Thorn leads an international research group at Universität Hamburg that is improving molecular models from across the world to enable the development of pharmaceuticals.

A research team including scientists from Freie Universität Berlin is investigating novel antiviral drugs that can also inhibit the spread of coronaviruses No 086/2021 from May 10, 2021 Researchers from the Institute of Pharmacy at Freie Universität Berlin, in collaboration with researchers at Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, have discovered a new process for developing antiviral agents for drugs.

Fewer requirements let artificial intelligence discover new materials A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Fritz Haber Institute in Berlin uses active machine learning in the search for suitable molecular materials for new organic semiconductors, the basis for organic field effect transistors (OFETs), light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and organic solar cells (OPVs).

High carbon dioxide concentrations are required to allow the central metabolic pathway to run "backwards" / publication in "Nature" The citric acid cycle is an important metabolic pathway that enables living organisms to generate energy by degrading organic compounds into carbon dioxide (CO₂). The first step in the cycle is usually performed by the enzyme citrate synthase, which builds citrate.

The properties of carbon-based nanomaterials can be altered and engineered through the deliberate introduction of certain structural "imperfections" or defects. The challenge, however, is to control the number and type of these defects. In the case of carbon nanotubes - microscopically small tubular compounds that emit light in the near-infrared - chemists and materials scientists at Heidelberg University led by Jana Zaumseil have now demonstrated a new reaction pathway to enable such defect control.

Materials such as gallium arsenide are extremely important for the production of electronic devices. As supplies of it are limited, or they can present health and environmental hazards, specialists are looking for alternative materials. So-called conjugated polymers are candidates. These organic macromolecules have semi-conductor properties, i.e. they can conduct electricity under certain conditions.

A major goal of organic and medicinal chemistry in recent decades has been the rapid synthesis of three-dimensional molecules for the development of new drugs. These drug candidates exhibit a variety of improved properties compared to predominantly flat molecular structures, which are reflected in clinical trials by higher efficacy and success rates.

Newly discovered group of cells in the root tip reacts to potassium deficiency and directs signalling pathways mediating plant adaptation Potassium is an essential nutrient for all living things. Plants need it in large quantities, especially for growth and in order to withstand stress better. For this reason, they absorb large quantities of potassium from the soil.

Device the size of a few micrometres provides insight into how cells respond to mechanical stress Cell behaviour - for instance during wound healing - is controlled by biological factors and chemical substances, with physical forces such as pressure or tension also playing a role.

Researchers from the University of Jena and University of Florence, develop cobalt compound with special quantum properties In quantum computers, instead of electrical circuits being switched on or off, quantum mechanical states are altered.

Researchers including Göttingen University discover biologically-relevant organic molecules in fluid inclusions It is generally accepted that the earliest life forms used small organic molecules as building materials and energy sources. However, the existence of such components in early habitats on Earth had not been proven to date.

Rydberg atoms are among the most promising candidates in the race of realizing a working quantum computer. In the new collaborative project ,,QRydDemo", researchers led by the University of Stuttgart aim to realize a Rydberg quantum computer demonstrator together with an industrial partner by 2025. In order to reach this goal, they group Rydberg atoms in a two-dimensional optical trap structure and perform quantum logical operations by controlled entanglement and shifting of the atom traps.

For the first time, biologically-relevant organic molecules have been detected in Archaean fluid inclusions, which most likely served as nutrients for early life on Earth. A research team including the geobiologist Dr. Helge Mißbach from the University of Cologne has detected organic molecules and gases trapped in 3.5 billion-year-old rocks.

Research on manufacturing battery cells is gaining momentum - and there is a strong need, considering the future demand for energy storage: For the year 2030, global production of rechargeable batteries will double from today's 750 gigawatt hours (GWh) per year to 1,500 GWh. A recently published review article in the magazine "Nature Energy" on cell production of various battery types suggests that the currently established lithium-ion batteries (LIB) dominate the market of rechargeable high-energy batteries in the coming years.

Researchers of Mainz University use electrolysis to produce dichloro and dibromo compounds in a safer and more environmentally friendly manner / Results published in Science 29 January 2021 Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) and ETH Zurich have developed a process to produce commodity chemicals in a much less hazardous way than was previously possible.

Research groups led by the polymer chemist Prof. Sabine Ludwigs and the mechanic Prof. Holger Steeb at the University of Stuttgart have developed active double-layer structures from intelligent polymers based on the structures of a flowering plant, which lean of their own accord in response to humidity and then regain their original shape.

New technique delivers resolution improvement in ultrafast processes Ultrafast science is pursued at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). An international consortium of scientists, initiated by Reinhard Kienberger, Professor of Laser and X-ray Physics several years ago, has made significant measurements in the femtosecond range at the U.S. Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC).

Plants produce toxic substances to defend themselves against herbivores. In a new study, scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena and the University of Münster were able to describe in detail the biosynthesis and exact mode of action of an important group of defensive substances, the diterpene glycosides, in wild tobacco plants.