⇓Expertise: • Silicon-containing polymers, organometallics, element-organic & solid-state chemistry
• Polymer-derived glasses and ceramics
• Oxynitrides and nitrides, carbides, borides
• Nanocomposites (ceramic nano/nano-composites; polymer-matrix nanocomposites, CMCs)
• Materials for high temperatures and extreme environments; Functional materials
for applications in harsh conditions; Ceramic materials for energy applications - thermoelectric materials, piezoresistive materials, materials for catalysis

⇓Equipment: • Synthesis: Schlenk technique; 2 glove boxes; various furnaces with temperature control and mass flow controller for different gases (Ar, N₂, NH₃) for pyrolysis and oxidation (temperatures up to 2200°C)
• Thermal analysis: Simultaneous Thermogravimetry - Differential Scanning Calorimetry with in situ evolved gas analysis (mass spectrometry - QMS 403 C Aëolos, IPI and FTIR - Bruker Tensor27).
• Raman spectroscopy: micro LabRAM HR vis IR; excitation laser: 488, 514, and 633 nm, mapping, Linkam hot stage cell for in-situ high temperature characterization.
• Photolithography: UV-Lithography (Hg lamp, I = 10-30 mW/cm², λ= 365 nm); spin-coater SPIN 150-v3 (S.P.S. Vertriebs GmbH)
• C, N, O elemental analysis (LECO C200, TC436); Dynamic Rotary Rheometer (TA Instruments AR2000ex); N2-sorption device (Autosorb-3B); SEM (Philips XL30 FEG ).
• X-ray diffraction: Access to STOE/ OED; SIEMENS, D500; SEIFERT, XRD 30003 PTS-3; micro-diffractometer: RIGAKU (Materials Science Department, Prof. Donner)
• Electron microscopy: Access to TEM equipment (Materials Science Department, Prof. Kleebe): Philips FEI CM12 STEM, Philips FEI CM20 STEM, JEOL 3010, with GIF; JEOL 2100F with EDS; JEOL ARM 200F with EDS and EELS; SEM equipment: SEM, Zeiss 962 with EDS; Environmental SEM; Specimen preparation: dimplers, grinders, ion mills.
• NMR spectroscopy: Access to solid-state MAS-NMR (Chemistry Department,
Prof. Buntkowsky): Bruker AVANCE II+ spectrometer (400 MHz proton resonance frequency) equipped with a Bruker 4 mm double resonance MAS probe (spinning rates of 10 kHz at room temperature).