Institute of Inorganic Chemistry Functional Materials

Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Hans Flandorfer Univ.-Prof. Dr. Freddy Kleitz Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Klaus Richter

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The scientific investigations conducted at the Institute for Inorganic Chemistry - functional Materials in the field of materials chemistry are currently focused mainly on the three main domains Porous Materials, Solid State

Chemistry and Liquid Metals and Alloys aiming to develop materials for current and next-generation technological applications

Selected Topics: Synthesis Chemistry of Inorganic and Hybrid Materials Porous Functional solids Nanopores Physico-Chemical Characterization Catalysts Adsorbents Energy & Bio-medical applications Phase

Equilibria Crystal Structures Chemical Bonds and Electronic Structures Experimental Thermodynamics Thermodynamic and Statistical Models Defect Structures Liquid Alloys Surface Properties

Synthesis, Functionalization and Characterization of Nanoporous Materials

c

50 nm

Microspheres

Nanospheres

Fibres

Thin Films

SBA-15

Monoliths

Aim: - Synthesize and characterize novel porous materials

- Improve / modify existing ones

- Develop better hosts / supports

Nanocasting Process

Interest: - Solid Catalysts for Organic Reactivity

- Adsorbents (Pollutants, Heavy Metals, Rare Earth, Bio-

molecules)

- Vectorisation and Targeted Delivery of Active Agents

Post-Functionalization

Direct Synthesis (Co-condensation)

Functionalization

Impregnation

Calcination

Selective Removal

of the Silica

Aim: - Develop efficient materials for

waste management, water

cleaning, recovery of rare earth

elements, nuclear isotope

trapping, …

- Energy applications

Selected Applications of (Hybrid) Nanoporous Materials

(Heterogeneous) Catalysis

Environment

Energy

Health

Adsorption

Optics Active Nanoporous Material

Application

Characterization

- Gas Physisorption

- Gas Chemisorption

- X-ray Diffraction

- UV/Vis/IR spectroscopy

- Thermogravimetry

- Calorimetry

- Microscopy

- NMR spectroscopy

- Dynamic Light Scattering

- Zeta Potential

- Etc.

Collaborations with

various local and

international groups for

application specific

characterization

techniques

Rare Earth Extraction (Mixed) Oxides, Zeolites &

Core@Shells

Applications:

Develop novel high specific

surface area catalysts

- Selective oxidation of CO

- H2 production

- Environmental catalysis

- Biomass conversion

Advanced Materials

for Energy storage

Energy storage / electro mobility Advantages:

+ Lightweight

+ Minor memory effect

+ minor self-discharge

+ fast charging

Disadvantages:: - High costs

- Short life span

- safety (thermal run-away)

- availability of lithium ressources

Solutions: - intermetallic anode materials

Binary alloy systems + selective & reversible alloying of Li

Investigation of ternary Li-systems

Promising candidates: Cu-Li-Sn, Cu-Li-Sb, Li-Sb-Sn

- Electrode materials with high capacities: Spinels, perovskites and

conversion materials

Li

Cu/Li

Sn

Cu

Projects and cooperations - DFG FL-730/1-2: „Thermodynamic investigations and phase stabilities of

new electrode materials for new LIB“

- Cooperation with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in framework of

joint project SPP 1473 „WeNDeLIB – Werkstoffe mit neuem „Design für

verbesserte Lithium-Ionen-Batterien“

Goals:

- Producing Vanadium based misfit layer compounds in the

systems V-M-X (M = As, Sb, Bi, Sn, Pb; X = Se, Te) according to

the stoichiometric formula [(MX)1+δ]m(TX2)n

- Explore their properties for technological application

Reason:

- MLCs incorporate the properties of

the technologically interesting

transition metal dichalcogenides

(TMDs) as well as the new properties

occurring in a 2D material. Their

properties can be modulated by

different stacking sequences.

- Problems: Strongly differing melting

temperatures, vapour pressures of

the elements as well as constituents

Approach:

- Pre-alloying, ball milling, CVD, salt flux synthesis

Possible applications:

- Novel Superconductors - Lubrication

- Energy storage (e.g. LIB, SIB) - Sensing

- (Spin-/Opto-) Electronics - Catalysis (HER)

Goals:

- Substitution of rare-earth elements (RE) containing magnets.

BiMn is a ferromagnet with extraordinary magnetic

properties, but is difficult to synthesize as a pure phase.

- Investigation of different methods of synthesis of BiMn

- Survey for ferromagnetic compounds within the ternary systems Bi-

Mn-X (X = Ni, Pt, Rh; Sb)

- Investigation of Mn-Sb alloys

- Magnetic characterization of different materials

Mn

Sb

Bi

Interest:

- Theranostic vectors

(diagnosis + therapy)

- Targeted and Controlled

Drug Delivery systems

- Patient compliant

and safer products

- Personal Healthcare

Bio-Medical

Anode Materials for Li-ion Batteries Permanent Magnets based on BiMn Vanadium Based Misfit Layer Compounds (MLCs)