Collaborative Research Centre SFB 953: “Synthetic Carbon Allotropes”

Welcome to the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 953: “Synthetic Carbon Allotropes”

SFB 953: Funding Period 2012-2023

The element carbon, due to its special bonding properties – bonds to other carbon atoms and almost every other element in breathtaking diversity – provides the basis for life on earth. This diversity leads to countless organic molecules with a wide range of chemical and physical properties, as shown, for example, by the naturally occurring carbon allotropes diamond, graphite or fullerenes. The CRC 953 essentially focused on novel compounds with predominantly sp2- and sp-hybridized carbon atoms – the eponymous “Synthetic Carbon Allotropes”. According to calculations, these materials have outstanding and exciting properties, which pose enormous challenges for synthesis, analytics, theory and technolo-gy. The exceptional expertise and equipment available in Erlangen, which has been expanded through strategic appointments of established scientists and a dedicated program of promoting young talents, has allowed for the successful scientific study of such compounds and materials. Nine long-term goals were originally defined, which were approached in three research areas – (A) Synthesis and Function-alization, (B) Electronic, Optical and Structural Properties, (C) Theory – and two analytical projects – High-Resolution Electron Microscopy and Tandem Mass Spectrometry. Furthermore, three research priorities were identified: Inter-SCA Architectures, Structures and Properties of Extended Defects, and Chemistry On Surfaces. The outstanding success of the CRC 953, with more than 970 publications, of which more than 390 were in high-ranking journals (impact factor >10), was due in particular to the ex-cellent cooperation between the projects and project leaders, some of whom had been in personal con-tact for many years. Particularly noteworthy results are the development of reductive functionalization protocols for carbon allotropes, the determination of the topochemical and reactivity properties of gra-phene functionalization, the generation of patterns on the graphene surface, the presentation and char-acterization of graphene model compounds (nanographenes), the investigation of the charge transfer properties of nanographenes, the derivation of a “Figure of Merit” for the accurate prediction of the op-timal mixing ratios of bulk heterojunction solar cells, the control of charge carriers in graphene and car-bon nanotubes using light, and the construction of Inter-SCA Architectures. At the same time, new ana-lytical tools were developed, since classical methods are generally only applicable to a very limited extent when characterizing synthetic carbon allotropes. In particular, statistical Raman spectroscopy was further developed and coupled with thermogravimetry/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Analytical ultracentrifugation with a multi-wavelength detector was established for rapid size and shape analysis of anisotropic carbon allotropes in solution. The results obtained within the framework of the CRC 953 form the basis, from fundamental understanding to concrete applications, for the development of more complex and customized one-, two- and three-dimensional high-performance materials based on carbon.

SFB 953: Constitution and Structure

Workflow SFB 953

The SFB 953 ‘Synthetic Carbon Allotropes’ was structured in three research areas and two scientific central projects. Research area A (Synthesis and Functionalization) provides the materials basis of the collaborative research center. Both, chemical functionalization of known synthetic carbon allotropes and development of new carbon modifications lay at the forefront.

The next level within the process chain was the systematic investigation of the physical and materials properties and the development of concepts for device fabrication. This was guaranteed by the close interaction with Research Area B (Electronic, Optical, and Structural Properties), where systems synthesized in Research area A were studied in great detail. This highly integrated and interdisciplinary approach of the SFB 953 also necessitated a close connection with  Research Area C (Theory). Both classical and quantum mechanical calculations provided the basis for an in-depth understanding of reaction mechanisms, stability, electronic and optical properties, and the structural and mechanical properties of synthetic carbon allotropes and their derivatives. More­over, theory provided some of the most valu­able design principles for the exploration of hither­to unknown forms of carbon. Finally, developing and strengthening fundamental and applied carbon allotrope research required strong support from highly sophisticated analysis and structural characterization, which was provided by the two scientific central projects of Research Area Z (Characterization/Analysis) on tandem mass spectrometry and high resolution electron microscopy. Making use of the latest developments in analysis of carbon materials and advanced instrumentation, like dedicated mass spectrometry and aberration-corrected TEM, the goal of the two Z projects was to contribute to an atomic scale understanding of structure and structure-property relationships of carbon allotropes and related devices.

 

Executive Board of the SFB 953

Dr. rer. nat. Frank Hauke, Akad. Dir.

Geschäftsführer SFB 953 "Synthetic Carbon Allotropes"
Dr.-Mack-Str. 77 & 81
90762 Fürth

 

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