Towards new reaction pathways

Insights on molecular dynamics in the ultrashort time window following UV excitation

30-Oct-2024 - The Attosecond Science group at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science at DESY has developed a novel light source capable of producing extremely short pulses for the investigation of UV-induced molecular dynamics with unprecedented temporal resolution. Scientists from DESY and the University ...

Synthesizing fine chemicals: Technological Advance in Production of Pharmaceuticals

04-Oct-2024 - Production of fine chemicals such as those used in pharmaceuticals is typically complex and laborious. An interdisciplinary team of Fraunhofer researchers worked together across different projects to devise a method modeled on a cascade, in which multiple successive stages of synthesis proceed ...

Superior light-to-chemical energy conversion with Coulombic dyads

Scientists established a novel photocatalyst class that uses precious metals more efficiently

13-Sep-2024 - Inspired by nature's photosynthesis, photocatalysts use light to trigger a chemical reaction that would otherwise only occur at high temperatures or under harsh conditions. For this concept to be widely applicable in an economical fashion, the quantum efficiency of the light-induced ...

New solution for green hydrogen production

Scientists at Paderborn University research carbon materials for photocatalysis

07-Aug-2024 - Coal, gas, oil: the use of fossil fuels is declining. Clean energy obtained from renewable sources is gradually replacing the environmentally harmful competition. In order to be widely used, the energy sources must be affordable and, above all, available. In recent years, hydrogen has proven to ...

On the way to sustainable chemistry? Iron makes it possible

Hydroformylation of olefins using iron catalysis and light

22-Jul-2024 - The hydroformylation of olefins, also known as oxosynthesis, is one of the most important industrial processes in chemistry. Developed in 1938 by Otto Roehlen (Ruhrchemie), more than 10 million tons per year of so-called oxo products are now produced using this process. The main catalysts used ...

Unravelling the secrets of artificial photosynthesis

Junior research group led by Dr Jacob Schneidewind launches new project on hydrogen production

05-Jul-2024 - "Our common goal is to develop artificial chloroplasts and use them to perform photosynthesis in order to produce hydrogen," says Dr Jacob Schneidewind from Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The idea is to utilize as broad a light spectrum as possible and to use inexpensive starting materials. ...

Researchers can now accurately measure the emergence and damping of a plasmonic field

This is crucial for renewable energy and other technologies

13-May-2024 - An international research team led by Universität Hamburg, DESY, and Stanford University has developed a new approach to characterize the electric field of arbitrary plasmonic samples, like e.g. gold nanoparticles. Plasmonic materials are of particular interest due to their extraordinary ...

Bioluminescence - the natural glow

How glowing molecules can also be used in industry

23-Apr-2024 - Many living organisms can glow in the dark. Researchers are already using this ability in medicine. A research team led by Prof. Dr. Stefan Schramm from HTWD is investigating how glowing molecules can also be used in industry. Dresden, 17.04.2024 - Bioluminescence is the emission of light as a ...

Making efficient use of the Sun’s power

The search for efficient, resource-friendly catalysts

15-Feb-2024 - Hydrogen holds vast potential as a fuel, provided that it is produced using renewable energy. But just how efficiently can we produce green hydrogen in sufficient quantities? This issue is the focus of a research group headed up by Dr Jacob Schneidewind at the Center for Energy and Environmental ...

Molecular manganese complex as superphotooxidant

Scientists developed a new molecular system made from the abundant element manganese for photooxidations

13-Feb-2024 - Highly reducing or oxidizing photocatalysts are a fundamental challenge in photochemistry. Only a few transition metal complexes with Earth-abundant metal ions have so far advanced to excited state oxidants, including chromium, iron, and cobalt. All these photocatalysts require high energy light ...