The research activities of our group focus on the structural characterisation of complex materials including disordered crystals, amorphous, glassy and nanomaterials as well as liquids. Our keen ambition is to establish links between the atomic structure of materials and their chemical and physical properties and performances. Building on this, we also investigate complex phase transitions, crystallisation phenomena, chemical reactions in confinements as well as the chemical functionalisation of nanomaterials including carbon nanotubes and graphene. Sample preparation methodologies include high-pressure as well as low- and high-temperature procedures, inert-gas chemical syntheses, vapour deposition techniques and standard wet chemistry. We are proud of the fact that we can synthesize most classes of materials in our lab.
Recent research highlights include the discovery of one-dimensional allotropes of phosphorus and arsenic, the dopant-induced disappearance of ice II from the phase diagram of ice, the control of stacking disorder in silver iodide, new insights into the structures of azeotropes and much more. Check out our list of publications!