Highlights - Institute for Materials and X-Ray Physics

18.2.2013-22.2.2013 Wetting and Capillarity in Complex Systems

International Workshop, Max-Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden (Germany)

5.12.2012 Kapillarsteigexperimente mit nanoporösen Gläsern

Nanofluidik untersucht mit Laborwaage und Stoppuhr (pdf), erschienen in der GIT Labor-Fachzeitschrift

11.5.2011

Evidence of sticky boundary layers and anisotropic diffusion in nanochannels published as Scientific Highlight in the annual report of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Neutron Research Reactor (Munich).

19.10.2011 Dr.-Eduard-Martin Award

Simon Gruener received the Dr.-Eduard-Martin award for his Ph.D. thesis from the friends of Saarland University.

6.2.2012 Capillary Condensation and Crystallization of Nitrogen in an Ordered Mesoporous Silica (SBA-15)

Sorption and calorimetric study on capillary condensation, freezing and melting of nitrogen in mesoporous silica published in Physical Review B (pdf).

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News

22.10.2025 Water as an energy carrier: nanoporous silicon generates electricity from friction with water

Exciting news! Our new publication in Nano Energy presents a novel way for converting mechanical energy into electricity – by harnessing water confined in nanometre-sized pores of silicon as the active working fluid (press release).
09.09.2025 When symmetry breaks in tiny spaces

Nanopores unlock hidden chirality in exotic liquid crystals – with the observation now made by us within an international cooperation with Ukraine, France and Poland, they might find even wider usage in energy storage or conversion or tunable lenses (see press release).
22.05.2025 Cluster of Excellence "BlueMat: Water-driven materials" approved

BlueMat has been awarded funding through the Cluster of Excellence program (ExStra)!

The application process was challenging: out of a total of 143 draft proposals for new clusters of excellence, only 41 were invited to submit a full proposal. In this second round, the new applications competed with the 57 already established clusters. Of a total of 98 applications submitted, only 70 were approved. The Cluster of Excellence will initially be funded for seven years until 2033.

We would like to thank all of our partners for their hard work. The whole team is energized and eager to begin bringing our vision to life. Stay tuned for updates as we embark on this exciting journey!
26.02.2025 Centre for Molecular Water Science (CMWS) inaugurated

The DESY-initiated CMWS is a Europe-wide research network in the field of molecular water research. The CMWS declaration has been signed by forty-seven founding members from twelve countries – including fourteen German universities and eight Helmholtz Centres. See also the corresponding press release.
18.11.2024 Ultrafast X-ray imaging at the European XFEL of a water droplet sucked into a porous silicon membrane by capillary action