HZB part of new metal oxide/water systems CRC
A team of HZB researchers is part of the new collaborative research center, "Molecular insights into metal oxide/water systems" funded by the German Research Association. As part of this CRC, Dr. Bernd Winter of Prof. Dr. Emad Aziz's junior research group will be studying metal ions and metal oxide complexes in aqueous solution at BESSY II.
Spokesman of the CRC is Prof. Dr. Christian Limberg of the Humboldt University Berlin. Other partners include the Freie Universität Berlin, the Technical University of Berlin, Potsdam University, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Berlin, and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society Berlin.
The researchers are using a liquid microjet under vacuum conditions allowing them to obtain measurements of aqueous solutions using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. Their measurements allow for conclusions to be drawn on the binding energies and on electronic relaxation processes and thus provide clues as to the interaction between metal oxide complexes and the surrounding water molecules. In addition, the technique can be used to determine precursor molecules that will go on to form larger metal-oxo networks.
These insights are key to our ability to synthesize metal oxides for specific applications, which is typically done in aqueous solution. The reason being that metal oxides are highly interesting in terms of their technological applicability: they upgrade building materials and special types of glass, improve the properties of ceramic implants in medicine, and are considered interesting candidates for use in fuel cells, solar cells, microelectronics, and as novel kinds of catalysts.
Spokesman of the CRC "Molecular insights into metal oxide/water systems: Structural evolution, interface, and resolution" is Prof. Dr. Christian Limberg of the Humboldt University Berlin. Other partners include the Freie Universität Berlin, the Technical University of Berlin, Potsdam University, the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Berlin, and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society Berlin. Together, the participating research groups are hoping to investigate different fundamental processes relating to metal oxide interactions with water on all relevant length scales using a combination of chemical synthesis and cutting-edge experimental and theoretical methods. In late November 2013, the German Research Association established nine new collaborative research centers (CRC's), which, through mid-2017, will receive federal funding in the amount of 64.4 million Euros total.
- Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automaticMany diseases are linked to malfunctions of proteins in the organism. The three-dimensional architecture of these molecules is often highly complex, but it can provide valuable insights into biological processes and the development of drugs. X-ray diffraction at the MX beamlines of BESSY II can be used to decipher the 3D structure of proteins. To date, more than 5000 structures have been solved at the three MX beamlines. Here, we present a review and an outlook with Manfred Weiss, head of the research group for macromolecular crystallography.
- What Zinc concentration in teeth revealsTeeth are composites of mineral and protein, with a bulk of bony dentin that is highly porous. This structure is allows teeth to be both strong and sensitive. Besides calcium and phosphate, teeth contain trace elements such as zinc. Using complementary microscopy imaging techniques, a team from Charité Berlin, TU Berlin and HZB has quantified the distribution of natural zinc along and across teeth in 3 dimensions. The team found that, as porosity in dentine increases towards the pulp, zinc concentration increases 5~10 fold. These results help to understand the influence of widely-used zinc-containing biomaterials (e.g. filling) and could inspire improvements in dental medicine.
- Fascinating archaeological find becomes a source of knowledgeThe Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments (BLfD) has sent a rare artefact from the Middle Bronze Age to Berlin for examination using cutting-edge, non-destructive methods. It is a 3,400-year-old bronze sword, unearthed during archaeological excavations in Nördlingen, Swabia, in 2023. Experts have been able to determine how the hilt and blade are connected, as well as how the rare and well-preserved decorations on the pommel were made. This has provided valuable insight into the craft techniques employed in southern Germany during the Bronze Age. The BLfD used 3D computed tomography and X-ray diffraction to analyse internal stresses at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), as well as X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy at a BESSY II beamline supervised by the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM).