10/12/2018
two hands in purple gloves crush powder in a mortar

Green synthesis for new applications

Source: BAM

On 1 January 2019, work will start in the new collaborative research centre (CRC) "fluorine-specific interactions." The BAM will be working on a project that focuses on fluorinated metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) used in electrocatalysis.

The objective of this collaborative research centre is to understand and control the complex interactions that can originate from fluorinated building blocks in chemical systems. Examples of "fluorinated building blocks" found in everyday life are fluoride in toothpaste, fluorinated liquid crystals in modern computer displays, or fluorinated groups meant to increase the effectiveness of medications.

A total of 19 projects will be investigated, encompassing subjects such as fluorine-specific interactions that influence the properties of functional materials or active ingredients in medications.

At the BAM, Dr. Franziska Emmerling, the acting head of the Analytical Chemistry; Reference Materials department, and her team are working on the project "Fluorine-specific interactions in fluorinated MOFs for electrocatalysis – proton conduction and catalytic activity for fuel cells and water electrolysis."

"The project is an interesting collaboration with Prof. Christina Roth at the Freien Universität Berlin," according to Franziska Emmerling. "Together we are bridging the gap between fundamental research and practical application."

The collaborative research centre "Fluorine-specific interactions" is based at the Freie Universität and will be financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG) for an initial period of four years. Other project partners from Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Technische Universität Berlin, and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society will work together in this CRC.

The DFG decided to implement 10 new collaborative research centres during their autumn session at the end of November 2018. The goal is to further promote cutting edge research in Germany.