Publication date: 27th March 2025
Advanced materials are driving innovation across all fields of technology, ranging from construction and mechanical engineering, automotive and electromobility, to medical technology, energy storage and conversion technologies, and microelectronics. Given their technological impact, functional materials represent an essential segment of industrial technologies with significant value creation potential for both established markets and emerging technologies. Especially in the context of sustainable production techniques, substitution of critical raw materials, and energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing, tailored surfaces and interfaces are gaining increasing importance in the future. In this context, chemical processing of nanostructured ceramics in tuning the functional and interfacial properties for better charge transport, higher corrosion protection and enhanced performance. The examples will include the role of functionalized inorganic surfaces in electrolysers for hydrogen production, and advances in photon-harvesting technologies for perovskite-based photovoltaics. This talk will emphasize the power of chemical synthesis in designing new materials for energy transition.