GRK 2948:  Mixed Ionic-Electronic Transport: From Fundamentals to Applications

• Subject Area: Materials Science
• Term: since 2023
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 508754442

Within this Research Training Group (RTG) the fundamental processes of mixed ionic-electronic transport in various classes of organic, hybrid and nanomaterials will be investigated and modelled; suitable materials will be synthesized or modified, characterized in-situ and finally applied in devices. Mixed ionic-electronic transport and corresponding materials have recently been rediscovered, optimized and applied in many fields from bioelectronics, chemical and biological sensing, optoelectronics, neuromorphics and soft actuators to energy storage. The performance parameters of these materials and devices are determined by the simultaneous transport and coupling of ionic and electronic charges. For each material, the precise balance and interaction of ionic and electronic transport and their combined impact on other properties (e.g., mechanical or optical) must be tailored to the respective application. This requires the combination of multiple disciplines, such as materials science, physical chemistry, solid-state physics, electronics, mechanical engineering, and life sciences. The research topics of the RTG encompass three focus areas: I) New Materials and Material Modification: toward new structures and complex functionalities; II) Transport and Spectroscopy: toward spatially and temporally resolved in-situ & operando characterization; III) Modelling and Simulation: Toward a multi-scale model for mixed ionic-electronic systems. This RTG brings together principal investigators and doctoral researchers from Heidelberg University and the University of Stuttgart; from natural sciences and engineering to jointly develop new materials and device structures (e.g., 3D-printed polymers, hydrogel and nanomaterial composites, hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites) for electrochemical transistors, sensors and soft actuators; or redox-active organic and hybrid electrodes for charge storage. The nature of ionic-electronic coupling and transport will be studied on a fundamental level by in-situ and time-resolved spectroscopies and their macroscopic effects by mechanical and rheological measurements. Ionic movement and charge accumulation will be modelled through combined atomistic, Monte-Carlo and continuum approaches to enable the rational design of new materials and device architectures. Through close collaboration between all research groups, the participating RTG researchers will be exposed to many different experimental techniques and theoretical methods. The accompanying qualification program will provide researchers from different backgrounds with the vocabulary and tools to communicate across disciplines, with international researchers and the public. The goal is to form a truly interactive and diverse MINT (i.e., STEM) community that provides young researchers with optimal conditions for their dissertation and future careers.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
• Co-Applicant Institution: Universität Stuttgart
• Spokesperson: Professorin Dr. Jana Zaumseil
• Participating Researchers: Professorin Eva Blasco, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Felix Deschler; Professor Dr. Martijn Kemerink; Professor Dr. Rüdiger Klingeler; Professorin Dr. Sabine Ludwigs; Professor Dr. Michael Mastalerz; Dr. Alexander Schlaich; Professorin Dr. Christine Selhuber-Unkel; Professor Dr.-Ing. Holger Steeb