Prof. Dr. Stephan Schulz • Prof. Dr. Kristina Tschulik
Identifying correlations between the (real) structure and catalytic activity of nanomaterials prepared in the CRC/TRR247 inherently necessitates their detailed analysis using state-of-the-art analytical methods. The service project S takes advantage of the DFG core facility Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN), the Center for Solvation Science (ZEMOS) and the Center for Interface-Dominated High-Performance Materials (ZGH), and their services will be available to all PIs of the CRC/TRR 247. Moreover, the analytical techniques offered in project S are complemented by analytical techniques available in each research group of the CRC. This guarantees a comprehensive characterization of the (real) structure of the nanomaterials under consideration, both, at the surface and in the bulk.
In FP1 and FP2, in situ and ex situ characterization protocols have been developed and adapted in view of the specific demands of research projects in Areas A, B, and C. This work will be continued, and state-of-the-art analytical methods will be offered to any research group in FP3. Analytical data was made available for all CRC/TRR 247 groups on a web-based platform implemented by the INF project. This will be continued throughout and beyond FP3.
ICAN operates a microscopy center in the NanoEnergieTechnikZentrum (NETZ) of the Universität Duisburg-Essen and provides analytical techniques including an aberration-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscop (STEM/TEM) with EELS and EDX analytics, a high-resolution SAM, an AFM/SPM, a nano-focused TOF-SIMS with FIB option and a micro-focused XPS with UPS analytics, which are heavily requested by all C projects and projects from Area A and B. At Ruhr-Universität Bochum, ZEMOS and ZGH offer state-of-the-art analytics that are complementary to ICAN techniques. ZGH provides access to an Atom Probe Tomography (APT) setup, in proximity to a Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and SEM equipped with a micromanipulator and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD) detector. ZEMOS offers a TEM suitable for liquid-cell measurements and a special in-house designed high-precision 3D manipulator for nanoelectrodes. ZEMOS also includes an AFM instrument equipped with an electrochemical cell and potentiostat for operating in non-contact, contact, peak-force-tapping, electrochemical, conductive, and magnetic or Kelvin Probe FM mode, which is also offered by
(Figure: Photographs of the research buildings: (A) NETZ (UDE), (B) ZEMOS (RUB) and (C) ZGH (RUB). Major analytical techniques at ICAN: D) XPS, E) TOF-SIMS, F) SAM, G) TEM, ZEMOS: H) TEM, I) AFM and at ZGH: J) APT and K) FIB).
Copyright © TRR247 2026
Last update: Aug 17, 2026
