We conduct fundamental and applied research with a focus on innovation in the fields of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Our scientists collaborate within the institute and with partners around the world across the disciplines of physics, chemistry, and materials science, as well as biology and medicine.
![Picture of Oliver Townrow and MVS](/img/INT_News/KIT_Townrow2_rdax_1024x387_98s.jpg)
Dr. Oliver Townrow will start his independent career at INT, funded by both the VCI Liebig Fellowship and the KIT YIG Prep Pro funded fellowship. The Townrow research group will utilise the direct method metal vapour synthesis (MVS) to target novel complexes containing metals across the periodic table in their zero-oxidation state. These will then be explored as soluble Single-Atom Sources to prepare functional organometallics.
![Atomic composition illustrating the cocktail effect and the lattice distortions in high-entropy materials](/img/INT_News/HEM-Cocktail_rdax_98.png)
This review by a collaboration of INT scientists on the recent research on high-entropy materials highlights their emerging potential in energy and electronic applications, based mainly on the intrinsic features of the "cocktail effect" and the lattice distortions of these materials. The emphasis lies on ionic and covalent ceramic materials.
Nature Reviews Materials![Cover picture of Chem4Quant proposal](/img/INT_News/2023-04-14_Chem4Quant_Cover_rdax_1024x613_98s.jpg)
The proposal "Chemical Design of Highly Precise Quantum Architectures" (Chem4Quant) was selected by the DFG expert council to enter a full proposal for the "Clusters of Excellence" funding line. The initiative by the KIT, the University of Stuttgart and the University of Ulm was headed for the KIT by Prof. Mario Ruben of INT.
KIT Press Release![Structural sketch of a nanoring formed of organometallic sandwich complexes](/img/INT_News/2023_057_Nano-Ringe_Neuartige%20Bausteine%20fuer%20die%20Chemie_72%20dpi_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
In organometallic chemistry, so-called sandwich complexes always displayed linear chain structures. Now researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Philipps-Universität Marburg have formed multi-level sandwich complexes into nanoscale rings and named them "cyclocenes". The work has been published in Nature.
KIT Press Release![Picture of Stefanie Dehnen](/img/INT_News/Stefanie_Dehnen_rdax_1024x683_98s.jpg)
For her pioneering research on molecular multinary cluster nanoarchitectures for applications in catalysts, white-light emitters, and battery materials Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen was awarded the Alexander Todd-Hans Krebs Lectureship by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh).
RSC Announcement![Picture of Christopher Barner-Kowollik in a laboratory](/img/INT_News/CBK-Laboratory_rdax_1024x683_98s.jpg)
Prof. Dr. Barner-Kowollik won the Centenary Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) for the development and photophysical understanding of precision macromolecular photochemistry, and for excellence in communication. He and his team developed the ‘action plot analysis’ to understand photochemical processes in the realm of polymer chemistry with never-before-seen precision.
RSC Announcement![Various 3D glass nanostructures](/img/INT_News/2023_041_Nanomaterialien_Glas%20sinterfrei%20in%203D%20gedruckt_72dpi_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
Using a hybrid organic-inorganic polymer resin as starting material the group of Dr. Jens Bauer succeeded in 3D printing of silicon dioxide nanostructures without the need of a high-temperature sintering process, as reported in Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.abq3037 )
KIT Press Release![Portrait pictures of Andreas Paetzold and Frank Biedermann](/img/INT_News/2023_002_ERC%20Consolidator%20Grants%20fuer%20zwei%20Forscher%20des%20KIT_01_72dpi_rdax_1024x577_98s.jpg)
One of the prestigious Consolidator Grants of the European Research Council (ERC) was awarded to Dr. Frank Biedermann of INT for his "SupraSense" project on highly specific sensors for medical diagnostics that mimic enzyme pockets. T.T.-Prof. Dr. Ulrich W. Paetzold of IMT received a Consolidator Grant for his LAMI-PERO project on perovskite solar cells.
KIT Press Release![Portrait picture of Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek](/img/INT_News/Janek_Juergen_Greve-Award_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
The Leopoldina National Academy of Sciences awarded the newly established Greve Prize to Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek (Justus Liebig University at Gießen and KIT, INT) and Prof. Dr. Kerstin Volz (Philipps University at Marburg) for their research on fundamental properties of solid-state batteries.
Leopoldina Press Release![Portrait picture of new Executive Director Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen](/img/INT_News/Stefanie_Dehnen_rdax_1024x683_98s.jpg)
On October 1st 2022 Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen succeeded Prof. Dr.-Ing. Horst Hahn as Executive Director of the INT. Prof. Dehnen won the Leibniz-Preis for her research on Inorganic Molecular Chemistry in 2022.
Executive Director Prof. Dr. Stefanie Dehnen![Artists sketch of a photon-spin interface with the europium molecule crystal](/img/INT_News/2022_019_Licht%20aus%20Seltenerdmolekuelen_72dpi_rdax_1024x598_98s.jpg)
Researchers of KIT with collaborators from France have produced an effective molecular photon-nuclear spin interface. This is major progress in the development of materials for processing quantum information with light.
KIT Press Release![Picture of the award ceremony with Mrs. Hagel and Mrs. Lauer](/img/INT_News/20220521_Preisverleihung_Hagel_Lauer_rdax_98s.jpg)
Mrs. Heidi Hagel and Mrs. Felicitas Lauer have received the award for Outstanding Performance in their support of INT scientists by the KIT Freundeskreis und Fördergesellschaft e.V. within the event "Junge Talente" on May 21st, 2022.
"Junge Talente"![Portrait picture of Pascal Friederich](/img/INT_News/2022_017_Heinz%20Maier-Leibnitz-Preis%20fuer%20Pascal%20Friederich_72dpi_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
The prize is considered the most distinguished award for young investigators in Germany. In his work, Pascal Friederich focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in material simulation, virtual material design, and autonomous experimental platforms for automatic material recognition.
KIT Press Release![Artists view of the silicon nanoparticles scattering light of the desired wavelength](/img/INT_News/2021_118_Optical-Diffuser_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Friedrich Schiller University of Jena have developed a diffuser, a disk that scatters light, based on silicon nanoparticles. It can be used to control the direction, color, and polarization of light.
KIT Press release![Honorary doctorate for Jürgen Janek](/img/INT_News/JJ_TU-Delft_rdax_1024x662_98.png)
For his long and successful research on Solid State Ionics Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek was awarded an honory doctorate by the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands (Laudatio starts at 7:20).
Youtube video of the Award Ceremony![Electron microscopic reconstruction of a 3D nanostructure printed with the 2-step absorption process (left) and light microscopy (right).](/img/INT_News/2021_106_3-D-Laser-Nanodrucker%20als%20kleines%20Tischgeraet_72dpi_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
3D laser printers for 3-dimensional microstructures and nanostructures so far require big and expensive laser systems. Researchers of KIT and the Heidelberg University developed a process with inexpensive and small laser diodes, allowing for much smaller printers.
KIT Press Release![Dr. Frank Biedermann received the Life Sciences Bridge Award 2021](/img/INT_News/Aventis-Award-Biedermann_rdax_1024x682_98.jpeg)
In 2021 the Aventis Foundation granted this highly-endowed Postdoctoral Award to researchers working at research-intensive German universities. Dr. Frank Biedermann from INT was one of only three awardees.
Award winner Dr. Frank Biedermann![Sketch of an Europium complex acting as a Qubit](/img/INT_News/2021_032_Quantencomputing_Ein%20Molekuel%20gehorcht%20dem%20Licht%20_2_72dpi_rdax_98s.jpg)
We demonstrate efficient polarization of ground state nuclear spins of a binuclear Europium complex via light. This shows the feasibilty of light addressable nuclear spin qubits in such rare-earth complexes.
Press release![Differential conductance of a Single Molecule Magnet at various magnetic field](/img/INT_News/Split-Kondo_rdax_98.png)
We use scanning tunneling spectroscopy with a spin-polarized tip to indirectly read out the spin of a rare-earth atom of a single molecule magnet exploiting the exchange splitting of the Kondo resonance.
Physical Review Letters![Sketch of vesicles captured on functionalized microarrays](/img/INT_News/pub_exves_rdax_98p.jpg)
A novel strategy based on dip-pen nanolithography generated microarrays of supported lipid membranes allows for highly selective and efficient capture of extracellular vesicles.
Advanced Materials![Artists view of a MOF-enhanced graphene transistor sensing molecules](/img/INT_News/Innovativer-Sensor-Molekuele_rdax_1024x662_98s.jpg)
By growing a metal-organic framework directly onto the graphene of a field-effect transistor device selective sensing of molecules has been demonstrated by a collaboration of groups from IFG and INT.
KIT press release![Artists view of a high-entropy metal-organic framework](/img/INT_News/Cover_AdvMat_2021-cropped_rdax_98.png)
We present High-Entropy Metal-Organic Frameworks that show much improved stability and near perfect Coulombic efficiency as a storage material based on sodium.
Advanced Materials![Picture of structures in materials of Earth's lithosphere](/img/INT_News/Lithomitetic_rdax_98.png)
The structural patterns of Earth's lithosphere is particularly rich and can inspire innovative designs of structural and architectured materials.
Lithomimetic materials design![Picture of cloud simulation chamber AIDA](/img/INT_News/wolkenkammer-aida_rdax_1200x675_rdax_1024x576_98s.jpg)
The CORAERO project studies the spreading of Corona viruses via aerosols. The INT group of Prof. Hahn is among the four participating KIT groups with their contribution to further Aerobuster development.
CORAERO press release (German)![Lipid-Multi-DPN](/img/RU_Fuchs/fuchs_lipid_multi_rdax_98p.jpg)
"KNMFi makes the invisible visible" is the motto of a video which features several KNMF technologies operated by our INT colleagues in Bldg. 640.
Video![Women in Science: Britta Weidinger, Ph.D. Student](/img/INT_News/Women_in_Science_rdax_98.png)
Carl Zeiss Foundation Scholarship holder Britta Weidinger talks about her research carried out at INT within the framework of the Excellence Cluster 3DMM2O.
Women in Science video at Youtube![Portrait pictures of Jürgen Janek and Martin Wegener](/img/INT_News/JJ_MW_rdax_98p.jpg)
INT research unit heads Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek and Prof. Dr. Martin Wegener are among the eight KIT scientists on the 2020 list of Highly Cited Researchers by Clarivate / Web of Science.
Press information (in German)A hybrid physical unclonable function based on metal oxide thin film devices, exploiting the inherent randomness of printed materials, was demonstrated by researchers of KIT.
Nature Communications article![Group of KIT resarchers with their prototype of the "Aerobuster"](/img/INT_News/2020_100_Aerobuster%20jagt%20herumfliegende%20Corona-Viren_1_72dpi_rdax_1024x683_98s.jpg)
Researchers of KIT developed a simple device to effectively kill the Corona virus in aerosols of ambient air in closed rooms.
Press information (in German)![Picture of Auriga FIB](/img/INT_Equipment_and_Facilities/Auriga_rdax_98s.jpg)
You can now take virtual lab tours through some of our synthesis, structuring and spectroscopy facilities.
Virtual lab tours![multiple anions+cations](/img/INT_News/multiple%20anions%20and%20cations_rdax_1024x748_98.png)
Entropy-stabilized multianionic and multicationic oxyhalides have been used as cathodes for Li-ion batteries.
Energy Environ. Sci. 12, 2433 (2019)