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Windows can help create a comfortable atmosphere in a room.

Endoscopes are self-cleaning for perfect optics.

This may all sound like science fiction, but it is already reality in the medicine, technology and industry sectors.

Particles are the basis for these phenomena.

Particles come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, with different surface structures, configurations, magnetic and electrical features.

All of these properties help define the overall effect.

But how do we tailor these particles for specific applications?

This is a key question which we want to address in the Center for Functional Particle Systems.

The center consists of eight research areas and it houses a technical hall with almost 400 square meters of space and ten different laboratories.

We are working together in interdisciplinary teams addressing fundamental and applied questions in science and technology of particulate systems.

The features and application areas of the custom-made particles are diverse.

So too are the methods and processes developed by the scientists to produce the particles and yield the desired particle properties.

Producing defined particles is only one topic which researchers study at FPS.

Only rigorous characterization can ensure that the desired particle structure and conformation has been achieved.

Various instruments are used to measure size, mass, shape, charge or surface structure of the particles.

For certain applications it is not the particles themselves but their controlled assembly which yields the desired effect.

In order to form defined building blocks and assemble them to produce the desired structures, researchers at FPS work in multidisciplinary teams all under one roof.

As complex problems transcend the traditional disciplines, cooperation between the various faculties is imperative.

Engineers, chemists, physicists, mathematicians, materials science experts and nanomedicine specialists work together to optimize particle technology.

Johann Schmidt is a chemist passionate about the production of the very smallest particles.

Before we take a closer look at his work, let us first consider the different methods of particle production.

There are two families of processes used to create nanostructures, top-down and bottom-up processes.

Top-down processes involve crushing or cutting the source material, while bottom-up processes refer to the chemical synthesis of the material from gaseous and liquid elements.

Johann is working on a top-down process which makes novel microparticles from polymer granulate.

So Johann, how does this process work?

In additive manufacturing, powders are deposited and melted into thin layers.

The device obtained is built layer by layer.

The flowability of the powders is important in this process.

The powder properties are determined by the individual underlying particles.

The source material is crushed by cold wet grinding.

This process results in irregularly shaped segments which are smoothed into round spheres in the next step.

Applying a final nanoscale surface coating ensures that the required flowability and optimized bulk density of the powder are achieved.

Monaco de Stasso applies an alternative method for producing particles.

She works with the bottom-up solvothermal production method and synthesizes custom-made particles.

Usually this experimental approach is working like a black box where only the final results are accessible.

However, a reactor has been designed and assembled to follow the particle formation starting from the molecular units.

This is possible by implementing several analytical and spectroscopic techniques via suitable probes that are immersed in the liquid phase.

This approach allows the reconstruction of the formation mechanism of particles.

With the volume of 1.5 litre, this reactor is ideal for the production of a large amount of nanoparticulate material.

As an example, it is currently used for the production of color pigments.

The blueprint for designing these functional particles was developed using mathematical simulations.

This is how a methodical procedure can be adapted to technical applications such as solar cells and catalyst membranes of fuel cells.

Robert Club Taylor has a focus on the synthesis of nanostructured particles.

Another system where we are inspired by mathematical optimization is that of metal nanocoatings on glass or plastic particles.

The metal may be partial or complete and give rise to strong optical resonances,

making such particles promising for pigments, for solar cells or for theranostic applications.