Our laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art materials synthesis and processing facilities including multiple fume hoods and glove boxes, and arrays of tube and muffle furnaces with inert and reactive gas supply. Besides wet chemical routes, we dispose of dedicated co-precipitation, solvo-thermal microwave, and ultrasonic spray-combustion reactors for particle synthesis. Thin films can be deposited by spin coating, aerosol-assisted chemical-vapor deposition, thermal evaporation, physical vapor deposition, and atomic layer deposition. Metallic alloys can be produced by arc melting and induction melting under inert atmosphere. Dense and porous ceramics are produced in our spark plasma sintering furnace and dedicated sintering furnaces. An optical float zone furnace is available for single crystal growth. Structural analysis is carried out in one of our two X-ray diffractometers, our Raman spectrometer, and capilary flow porosimetry. Several Fourier transform infrared spectrometers are available, also with attenuated total reflection and diffuse reflectance. A Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyzer allows surface area determination. Gaseous products are analyzed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometers, liquid products are analyzed by liquid chromatography. Complex impedance, electrical conductivity, Seebeck and Hall coefficients, thermal diffusivity and conductivity can be determined up to 800°C. Thermodynamic properties can be investigated using thermogravimetry or differential scanning calorimetry. Application specific test stands for battery cycling with more than 600 channels including several climate chambers, (photo-)electrochemical H2O and CO2 reduction, alkaline electrolysis, thermal catalysis, and thermoelectric module testing are also operational.

Synthesis and Processing

Fume hoods

Glove boxes

Furnaces and climate chambers (up to 1600 °C, vacuum, inert and reactive gas)

Automated co-precipitation reactor

Microwave solvo-thermal synthesis reactor

Ultrasonic spray combustion reactor

Aerosol assisted chemical vapor deposition reactor

Physical vapor deposition system with four independent 2’’ magnetrons (coupled to glove box)

Atomic layer deposition system with plasma source (coupled to glove box)

Thermal evaporator (in glove box)

Arc melting furnace (in glove box)

Induction melting furnace (in glove box)

Spark plasma sintering furnace

Optical float zone furnace

Planetary ball mills

Shaker ball mills

Reactive ball mill

Rolling mills

Diamond wire and blade saw

Automated tape casting (also in glove box)

Various presses and calenders

Ultrasonic mixer

Rotary evaporator

Schlenk lines

Carl-Fischer titration

Wire bonding

Structure and Composition

X-ray diffractometers (inert and reactive gas chamber and operando electrochemical cell)

Raman spectrometer with operando electrochemical cell

FTIR spectrometers (with ATR and DRIFTs)

BET surface area analyzer

Capillary flow porosimeter

Viscosimeter

Densimeter

Mass spectrometers

Gas chromatographers

Liquid chromatographer

ICP-OES (jointly with Empa St. Gallen)

SEM/TEM (Electron Microscopy Center)

Light microscopes

Electrical and Thermal Characterization

Impedance spectroscopy from -200 °C up to 800 °C

Electrical conductivity up to 800 °C

Seebeck coefficient up to 800 °C

Hall effect up to 800 °C

Thermal diffusivity up to 800 °C

Thermal conductivity up to 800 °C

Specific heat

Transition enthalpies

Thermogravimetric analysis

Dilatometer for thermal expansion up to 1600 °C

Device and Application Testing

Multichannel battery cycling stations with various climate chambers

Photoelectrochemical cell with 1 sun illumination

Electrochemical cell with online gas and liquid product analysis

Thermal catalysis reactors

Lab scale and semi-industrial electrolysers

Thermoelectric module testing up to 900 °C