HZB and ANSTO have extended their Memorandum of Understanding

<span class="Beschriftung1"><span>ANSTO: Adi Paterson and Simone Richter, HZB: Prof Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla and Thomas Frederking. </span></span>

ANSTO: Adi Paterson and Simone Richter, HZB: Prof Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla and Thomas Frederking. © ANSTO

Advancing energy materials research together

The heads of the HZB and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) recently have considerably extended the Memorandum of Understanding existing between the two institutions since 2015. They intend to further enhance their cooperation particularly in the area of energy materials research.

The memorandum comprises agreements on the exchange of personnel, advanced training, and reciprocal access to instruments located at the large-scale facilities of ANSTO and the HZB. The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) research hub is located near Sydney, operating a synchrotron source as well as other infrastructures including the OPAL research reactor and Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering. ANSTO will be taking over the BioRef-Reflektometer for conducting research on soft matter and solid-state/liquid interfaces from BER II, the Berlin-based neutron source that will be shut down at the end of 2019. It will be available to the user community beginning 2018 under the name “Spatz” (German for “sparrow”). ANSTO is also active in the field of accelerator research, one in which HZB has likewise attained an international reputation.

Moreover, HZB has enhanced its collaboration with other leading Australian institutions. In summer 2016, Monash University appointed three HZB scientists from the field of energy materials research as adjunct professors.

More Information on ANSTO: http://www.ansto.gov.au

arö

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • AI agents deliver results – but do they reason scientifically?
    News
    01.06.2026
    AI agents deliver results – but do they reason scientifically?
    A research team co-led by Kevin Maik Jablonka from the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications Jena (HIPOLE Jena) and N. M. Anoop Krishnan from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi has developed Corral, a new benchmark for AI agents in science. The preprint “AI scientists produce results without reasoning scientifically” has been published on arXiv (https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2604.18805). The analysis shows that current systems can execute scientific workflows and deliver results; however, they often do not follow the basic principles of scientific testing and reasoning.
  • Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yield
    Science Highlight
    01.06.2026
    Magnetic field during catalyst synthesis triples ammonia yield
    Applying an external magnetic field during the synthesis of CoFe₂O₄ electrocatalysts triples the ammonia yield during electrocatalytic conversion. The magnetic field alters the surface states of the spinel oxide thin films, making catalytically active sites more accessible. In the journal 'Advanced Functional Materials', a team led by Marcel Risch at HZB and Sanjay Mathur at University of Cologne demonstrates a scalable strategy for developing next-generation electrocatalysts for efficient and sustainable chemical production.
  • Materials chemistry shapes the future of catalysis
    Science Highlight
    29.05.2026
    Materials chemistry shapes the future of catalysis
    The synthesis of materials can serve as a tool for developing smart, adaptive electrocatalysts. This rapidly evolving field of research involves in-situ analytics, data-driven discoveries and autonomous robotics. These new approaches could accelerate the discovery of long-lasting and efficient catalysts for future energy conversion and the decarbonisation of the chemical industry. A recent article by Dr Prashanth Menezes and his team in the renowned journal Angewandte Chemie provides an overview of this research.