Imbibition of water and a liquid crystal in nanoporous silica

11.5.2011


Gravimetric study on the capillarity-driven invasion dynamics of the rod-like liquid crystal octyloxycyanobiphenyl (8OCB) in mesoporous monolithic silica glass (Vycor) reveals the existence of a paranematic phase driven by the molecular alignment of the rods in the narrow pore structure (see article published as part of the special issue on nano- and microfluidics in Journal of Physics).

nPropanolGraphitePRL

13.4.2011

Transition from van-der-Waals to hydrogen-bridge bonding dominated interaction upon physisorption on graphite reported in Physical Review Letters .

Spring2011

9.4.2011 Campus of Saarland University - Spring's Arrival

X-mas hike 2010

20.12.2010 Christmas & Spicy Wine Hike
on the Kirkeler Felsenpfad (Saarland)

We enjoyed a beautiful hike on the Kirkeler Felsenpfad. Press thumbnails to see more pictures of the trip or check Outings to see pictures from previous Christmas hikes.

Collective orientational order of molecular liquids revealed by optical birefringence

December 2, 2010

High-resolution optical birefringence isotherms reveal collective orientational order in molecular liquids upon condensation in a monolithic, mesoporous silica membrane (see publication in Physical Review B [pdf]).

  1. Optical Switching - Movie
  2. Smectic and nematic order of 8OCB
  3. Thermotropic nematic order upon nano-capillary filling
  4. Neutron Spin Echo study on confined liquids

Page 18 of 22

News

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

    Our new publication in Nano Energy we demonstrte a novel way for converting mechanical energy into electricity – by using 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