Major projects/scientific initiatives

KeraSolar

Scientists of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) want to develop a fundamentally new solar cell concept in the project "Novel liquid-applied ceramic solar cells" (KeraSolar). In doing so, they combine research on photovoltaics with ceramic functional materials in order to bundle the advantages of different solar cell technologies: The printability of organic solar cells, the long-term stability of crystalline solar cells, and the ferroelectricity of perovskites.

One of the most important pillars of future CO₂-neutral energy supply is solar energy. Solar cells can collect it and convert it into usable electrical energy. Over the next six years, KIT researchers will work on a completely new material concept for solar cells in the project "Novel liquid-applied ceramic solar cells" (KeraSolar) funded by the Carl Zeiss Foundation with 4.5 million euros. In this project, the Bräse working group synthesizes new organic semiconductors that can be used as charge transport layers.

Click here for the KIT press release.

3D Matter Made to Order

The Cluster of Excellence 3D Matter Made to Order (3DMM2O) is a joint initiative of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the University of Heidelberg. The main task of the cluster is to take 3D additive manufacturing to the next level.

3D Additive Manufacturing, or simply "3D printing", has the potential to change our world in the 21st century as much as Gutenberg's moving "2D printing" did in the 15th century. 3D Additive Manufacturing transforms information - a digital blueprint - directly and quickly into physical objects.

This technology dramatically reduces time to market, allows customization at no additional cost, overcomes the limitations of standard machining, and puts the production of materials, objects and functional devices out of the hands of a few factory owners and into the hands of many who have access to desktop 3D printing capabilities. At the macro level, 3D additive manufacturing of polymers and metals is already a global megatrend.

The cluster "3D Matter Made to Order" (3DMM2O) aims at bringing 3D Additive Manufacturing from the macro scale to the micro, nano, and finally to the molecular scale and to apply these technologies in three selected application areas. The focus of the Bräse working group is on research area A: Molecular Materials.

The research focus is on the limited self-assembly of molecular units into macroscopic objects and the provision of functional macromolecular inks and resists for 3D laser printing. With the programmed production of functional materials, Research Area A "Molecular Materials" forms the basis of the 3DMM2O cluster. The three thrusts of research area A are: Molecular units (A1), crystalline molecular assemblies (A2) and advanced macromolecular resists (A3). Prof. Dr. Stefan Bräse acts as spokesperson of the sub-area A1.

Compound Platform (ComPlat)

The Compound Platform (former name: Platform for combinatorial chemistry) ComPlat offers all necessary tools for the parallel and combinatorial synthesis of small molecules to provide single compounds in gram scale as well as small to medium sized compound libraries. In addition, the platform maintains a stock of both internally synthesized and commercially available compound libraries, comprising more than 20,000 compounds in total. The compounds of the stock library are distributed on request to BIFTM groups and to external users for screening purposes. Further information can be found under Compound Platform under Research Interests and on the homepage www.complat.kit.edu.

SoftMatterLab

The Soft Matter Lab consists of a competence pool of chemistry, including organic chemistry, polymer chemistry and materials chemistry, supported by the expertise of Prof. Stefan Bräse (Institute of Organic Chemistry ), Prof. Patrick Théato (Institute of Chemical Technology and Polymer Chemistry ) and Prof. Jörg Lahann (Institute of Functional Interfaces ).

The main objective of the SoftMatterLab is the intellectual and experimental support of projects at the interface of biology, chemistry and physics. Therefore, the activities of the laboratory include the development of novel synthesis strategies, advanced material design as well as optimization studies and on-demand synthesis within the BIF program. Here, the Bräse working group focuses on the synthesis of biologically relevant complex structures and highly porous structures.

Materials Systems Engineering (MSE)

The Helmholtz Research Program MSE (Materials Systems Engineering) focuses on using information-based methods to improve the design, development, and processing of materials, aiming to drive future advancements.

By applying information-driven techniques to the design of material interfaces—particularly in nanomaterials, biomaterials, and advanced engineering materials—there is significant potential for future technological developments. These techniques allow for the fine-tuning of material properties beyond traditional methods by functionalizing surfaces and controlling interfaces.

ChemASAP 

ChemASAP is a Materials Acceleration Platform (MAP) developed by KIT, designed for the automated synthesis and analysis of chemical compounds used in a wide range of fields, from biology to materials science. The platform is composed of multiple modules, each dedicated to specific tasks required for conducting organic syntheses. These modules can be flexibly combined to allow for fully automated experiments tailored to various needs. Once completed, the platform will support all stages of the process, including storage, synthesis, purification, and analysis (Technologies).

ChemASAP plays a crucial role in producing high-throughput synthetic building blocks, which serve as the foundation for functional materials that are essential for application-driven sciences, ensuring high levels of purity and consistency. The platform is being developed by an interdisciplinary team and is supported by numerous academic and industry partners (Team). By integrating advanced methods of data analysis, experiment planning, and open data sharing, ChemASAP aims to set a new standard for digital chemical process control.

Core to core (Japan Society)

π-conjugated compounds offer a variety of functions, such as electrical conductivity, optical absorption, and fermentation, which are crucial for the future of electronic materials. Recently, there has been significant worldwide progress in the synthesis of carbon nanostructures with unique properties, as well as in the evaluation and analysis of these advanced materials.

This initiative will involve collaboration with a Japanese research team working in this interdisciplinary area. The goal is to establish a global research exchange center dedicated to the development and application of carbon nanomolecules. This center will include prominent institutions from the UK (University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London), Canada (McGill University, University of Alberta, Laval University), Germany (KIT), and Japan. The project seeks to create an international hub for research and innovation, where experts from different fields work together on everything from molecular design and synthesis to device testing and analysis. Through this center, we aim to train the next generation of researchers who will be leaders in both organic synthesis and device technology, driving forward the integration of these disciplines.