In the CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the opportunity to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by applying to the CRC board. The aim is to promote the international competence and early independence of our early-career researchers.

The research group of Prof. Burés is widely recognized for the development of the Variable Time Normalization Analysis (VTNA) method, a graphical tool that allows chemists to determine reaction orders directly from experimental kinetic data without prior mechanistic assumptions.

Alexander’s work aimed to link apparent reaction orders with mechanistic pathways, providing insights that could complement DFT simulations and strengthen the interpretation of kinetic experiments.

In an interview, Alex gave us some insights into his stay:

What was special about the work of the Burés Group?

This stay allowed me to view DFT interpretations not just as simulations but also in the context of experimental kinetics, which is very valuable for our work at the CRC 1333. The working group was very welcoming, even though their experimental work was primarily in the laboratory while my work was mainly office-based. We met regularly at group meetings and also enjoyed some activities together outside of work.

How did you like Tarragona? What were some highlights for you?
Tarragona is a historic university city on the Catalonian coast, renowned for its rich Roman heritage. Its coastal location offers a perfect balance between exploring culture and enjoying the natural surroundings. While the winter weather is often quite windy, that only added to the experience. During my time in Spain, I also visited nearby Barcelona and spent time with family and friends in Madrid. My Spanish language skills proved very helpful, and it was wonderful to have the opportunity to practice speaking the language.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?
For doctoral researchers considering a stay abroad, I recommend not only relying on existing collaborations, but also proactively reaching out to potential host groups whose work you find interesting and inspiring.

Thank you for all the insights, Alex!

Der Beitrag New Perspectives on Reaction Kinetics: Research Stay at the Burés Group erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

From February to April 2025, Patricia Sonnenberg (CRC 1333 researcher at the Macromolecular Institute of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, Project B07) visited Professor Masaoka and his team at the Division of Applied Chemistry at Osaka University as part of an international research stay funded by the CRC 1333.

In the CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the opportunity to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by applying to the CRC board. The aim is to promote the international competence and early independence of our early-career researchers.

The Masaoka group is prominently known for the development of novel functional materials and catalysts that enable innovative approaches for energy conversion and sustainable chemical processes, including artificial photosynthesis and CO₂ reduction.

The aim was to compliment the ongoing research of anchored molecular catalysts on ordered mesoporous carbon materials (Fe-por@OMC) for electrochemical CO₂ reduction reactions (eCO₂RR), carried out in collaboration with the Sarkar and Klemm group, by incorporating the metal catalysts of the Masaoka group. These catalysts are of particular interest to the CRC 1333 for advancing the understanding of the confinement effect.

In an interview, Patricia gave us some insights into her stay:

What was special about the work of the Masaoka Group?

Their expertise in metal catalysts, as well as electrochemical and photocatalytic reactions, provided valuable insights, which helped deepen my understanding in this area.

I also noticed that the structure and meeting culture was different from what I was used to. Due to the size of the group, research meetings were held separately in smaller groups, selected by topic. Additionally, each week, two members gave a literature presentation, also known as ‘lunch meeting’.

Beyond the scientific work, I was warmly included in the group’s social activities, from graduation to farewell parties, and had the chance to experience unique cultural traditions, such as the White Day.

How did you like Osaka? What were some highlights for you?

Staying in Osaka was a great experience. Not only is the city close to Kyoto, the cultural capital, but it is also close to several other major cities, making it easy to explore. Surrounded by forests, hills and the sea, it offers a beautiful natural environment alongside urban life.

The Osaka University campus is spacious and green, and the canteen food was really good. During my stay, I experienced everything from heavy snowfalls to the cherry blossom in spring.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?

To ensure a smooth and efficient start to the research stay, it’s helpful to prepare in advance. Doing preliminary work at home can save valuable time. If synthesis is involved, check whether all required materials are available and confirm the exact quantities needed.

Additionally, learning even a little of the local language beforehand proved to be a game changer. It greatly helped with the language barrier.

Thank you for all the insights, Patricia!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – “Immobilization of functional metal catalysts in mesoporous carbon powders and films for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide” erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

Doctoral researcher Fabian Heck in CRC 1333 project A03 spent two months at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada to visit Prof. Curtis Berlinguette and his team. The purpose of his stay from June to August 2024 was to work on his research project “Electrocatalysis under confinement: Investigation of porphyrin-based COFs by operando Raman gas diffusion electrode”.

In the CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the opportunity to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by applying to the CRC board. The aim is to promote the international competence and early independence of our early-career researchers.

The Berlinguette group is a global leader in the field of flow cells and is interested in exploring the fundamental processes behind CO₂ reduction with various materials and their potential application on an industrial scale. Fabian had already been in contact with the group through a colleague two years ago, and it quickly became clear that a collaboration would make sense.

The aim was to study porphyrin-based COFs with their operando Raman set-up, which could help project A03 to further understand impacts of local pH variations, mass transport, surface species formation as well as reaction intermediates during eCO₂R with COFs at high current densities, potentially leading to the observation of potential confinement effects, which are highly relevant to the work of the CRC 1333.

In an interview, Fabian gave us some insights into his stay:

What was special about the work of the Berlinguette Group?

While the overall structure and meeting culture of the group was very similar to what we have in Stuttgart, the background of the people working in the group was different: the proportion of chemical engineers is very high, which makes the group’s work much more application-oriented for the industry. Having more engineers and synthetic chemists in the group also influences the way the work is done, e.g. when it comes to problem solving.

How did you like Vancouver? What were some highlights for you?

The UBC campus has a very unique geographic location, situated at the western tip of the Point Grey Peninsula, surrounded by forests on three sides and the ocean on the fourth. The nature in this area is breathtaking and obviously very different from what we know in the Stuttgart area.

I enjoyed the easy access to nature and the ocean, the great public transportation system, and the fact that the UBC campus offered everything I needed for my daily life.

The integration into the Berlinguette group was very easy and I also spent time with colleagues outside of work. The lifestyle in Vancouver is very active and I was able to do a lot of sports in my free time.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?

Make sure you allow enough time for the planning process. My first contact with the Berlinguette Group was two years before the actual research stay. The more time you have, the better you can prepare.

It is also important to prepare scientifically for the research stay: for example, you can do some preliminary scientific work at home and get started more quickly because you already have the necessary results with you. Finally, be sure to choose a project that will help you advance your doctoral studies

Thank you for all the insights, Fabian.

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – “Electrocatalysis under confinement: Investigation of porphyrin-based COFs by operando Raman gas diffusion electrode” erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

Patricia will be staying at the University of Osaka in Japan for two months starting in February 2025, to work on her research project “Immobilization of functional metal catalysts in mesoporous carbon powders and films for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide” within the working group of Prof. Shigeyuki Masaoka.

The Masaoka Group s prominently known for the development of functional metal complexes for CO2 reduction and insertion reactions. The ongoing research of anchored molecular catalysts on ordered mesoporous carbon materials (Fe-por@OMC) for electrochemical CO2 reduction reactions (eCO2RR), carried out in collaboration with the Sarkar and Klemm group, could be complemented by the metal catalysts of the Masaoka group, which are of interest to the CRC 1333 for the understanding of the confinement effect.

We wish you all the best for your research in Japan, Patricia!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – Congratulations to Patricia erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

In the CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the opportunity to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by applying to the CRC board. Our aim is to promote the international competence and early independence of our early-career researchers.

Sofia first met Dr. Jack Evans when he gave a talk at the Max-Planck Institute in Stuttgart in 2023 and chose to visit the University of Adelaide and his group because he is an expert in the field of all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, which are used to unravel local diffusion and confinement effects in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). These can only be performed in specialized MD programs, which are currently not used in the MD group Sofia works in. Her goal was to learn how to use these programs and to set up, run and analyze AA MOF simulations during her research stay.

In an interview, Sofia gave us some insights into her stay:

What was special about the work of the Evans Group?

Definitely their knowledge of specialized MD programs that we do not currently use in Stuttgart, and the opportunities they gave me to learn more about them by helping me analyze AA MOF simulations during my time in Adelaide The group also does a lot of social activities together. I was invited to join them and this has helped me a lot to get more involved with the team.

How did you like Adelaide? What were some highlights for you?

Adelaide has access to many beautiful beaches, so of course you can spend time at the beach after work, which was very different from my after-work life in Stuttgart. I really enjoyed this fact and the beautiful weather. It was also my first time to experience Christmas in a summer setting. The Christmas parade in warm weather is something I will always remember.

Public transportation was also a highlight: very reliable, fast, and even free in the city center. People were very friendly and easy to talk to. I had the opportunity to travel after my research stay and was impressed by the beauty of Australia and its wildlife. Seeing kangaroos and koala bears in their natural habitat was definitely another highlight for me.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?

Make sure that you have enough time for the planning process. I had my official “GO” from the CRC 1333 board many months before I started my trip, and that made planning a lot easier, especially if you have to find accommodation on your own.

If you can, try to combine your research stay with a vacation. This will give you a chance to also experience the country outside of work.

Another tip is to use the “Reisekostenbeihilfe” from the University of Stuttgart instead of doing the “Reisekostenabrechnung” after your trip. This has saved me a lot of time and advance payments.

Thank you for all the insights, Sofia

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Characterization of Metal-Organic Frameworks erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

From April until June 2023, CRC 1333 researcher Torsten Giess (Project INF) visited Prof. Johann Rohwer at the biochemistry department of Stellenbosch University, South Africa, as part of the CRC 1333-funded program for doctoral researchers “Research Stay Abroad” to work on his research project “Towards FAIR NMR in Catalysis: Extension and Application of NMRpy, nmrML, and EnzymeML“.

In the CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the chance to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by applying to the CRC board. Thereby, we aim to foster the international competencies and early independence of our early-career researchers.

At the biochemistry department of Stellenbosch University, Johann Rohwer applies NMR techniques for real-time measurements and kinetic model construction of metabolite pathways in vivo, in situ, and in vitro. In the course of this research, his group developed the open-source Python library NMRpy for the analysis of these experiments.

In cooperation a cooperatoin of Project INF with Jun-Prof. Dr. Deven Estes, Torsten’s research goal was to extend the powerful NMRpy toolbox towards chemistry in general and catalysis in particular. The goal was to integrate the standardized data exchange formats for NMR data and catalytic data, nmrML and EnzymeML, to enable FAIR reporting of NMR experiments. Eventually, Torsten will make the resulting toolkit available to the entire CRC 1333 as part of his work as a Research Software Engineer in Project INF.

In an interview, Torsten gave us some insights into his stay:

What were your reasons to choose Stellenbosch University and the department of Prof. Johann Rohwer for your research stay?

I met Prof. Johann Rohwer at a workshop a while ago, and we had an instant professional connection, talking about synergies between his research group and our team in Stuttgart. We came up with the idea to extend Johann’s powerful and open tool, NMRpy, with EnzymeML and nmrML to make it even FAIRer and to make it compatible with our data model-based framework. By doing this, the special features of NMRpy become available to even more researchers, especially in the CRC 1333. This led to the decision that it would be very beneficial for my research to spend some time at Stellenbosch University.

What was special about the work of the Rohwer Group?

Johann’s group places special emphasis on reproducibility and reusability in their research. That is why they work almost exclusively with open and FAIR standards such as EnzymeML, STRENDA, etc., which is also how my supervisor, Prof. Jürgen Pleiss and Johann know each other. They do their evaluations and visualizations in Jupyter notebooks and also develop tools if there are no satisfactory products that meet these requirements. A special focus of his group is kinetics from NMR time course data. NMR is exactly such a use case. The proprietary software from Bruker & Co. is not very useful for this kind of research, especially when FAIRness is relevant.

How did you like Stellenbosch? What were some highlights for you?

I really liked Stellenbosch and the work in the Rohwer group. We had a great connection on a professional and personal level, and I was treated like a regular employee. I was invited to their “lab socials,” where we met for a braai (South African for BBQ) and visited Paarl Rock together.

In general, I felt safe during my visit, but the security measures in South Africa are very different from what we are used to in Stuttgart. For example, the campus was equipped with panic buttons that you could press if you needed help or felt unsafe. I have not seen anything like that in Germany.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?

Start the planning process as early as you can. I was lucky to have had help from Prof. Rohwer in finding an apartment in Stellenbosch for me, which was very helpful. If you are traveling to a country where you drive on the left-hand side of the road or that generally has different traffic rules than your home country, it is a good idea to read up on the applicable traffic rules before you leave. This has definitely made some difficult traffic situations easier for me.

Another tip is to use the “Reisekostenbeihilfe” from the University of Stuttgart instead of doing the “Reisekostenabrechnung” after your trip. This has saved me a lot of time and advance payments.

Thank you for all the insights, Torsten!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad: Towards FAIR NMR data in catalysis erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

In CRC 1333, all doctoral and postdoctoral researchers have the chance to receive additional funding for a research stay abroad up to three months by application to the CRC board. Thereby, we aim to foster international competencies and early independence of our early career researchers.

The Rossini Group is an experimental physical chemistry research group interested in the structural characterization of inorganic materials, catalysts and pharmaceuticals. The primary tool used to accomplish this is solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Erik’s research goal was to analyze and characterize low-loading platinum hydrides on metal oxide supports using advanced solid-state NMR techniques.

In an interview, Erik gave us some insights into his stay:

What was your reason for visiting the Rossini Group?

My supervisor Jun-Prof. Dr. Deven Estes has been in contact with the Rossini group (known from ETH Zurich) for some time, collaborating on palladium and platinum catalysis research. The Rossini Group is working with sophisticated measurement methods in Solid State NMR spectroscopy which are very useful for our research in project B08 of the CRC 1333.

We were interested to use their dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) solid-state NMR spectrometer. The DNP spectrometer can provide 1 to 2 orders of magnitudes in NMR sensitivity. I was also able to use special fast magic angle spinning probes that use very small rotors and spin the sample up to 50 kHz. Using DNP or fast MAS techniques were able to improve the sensitivity of NMR spectroscopy and for example detect low loadings of catalysts on solid supports. I did all of this work with Ben Atterberry, a PhD student in Rossini’s group. Ben is an expert in all of these techniques and he was able to train me on the use of the spectrometers and also showed me how to analyze 195Pt NMR data.

Another important aim was, to introduce those advanced NMR techniques to Stuttgart, particularly in anticipation of the upcoming new NMR instrument that has been ordered within the CRC 1333. It was, therefore, a good opportunity to use the device for experiments during my two weeks in Iowa.

Finally, establishing a connection with a research group in another country and fostering our collaboration was a great opportunity.

What was special about the work of the Rossini Group?

The group works on the development of methods in solid state NMR spectroscopy and not only on their application. In our group in Stuttgart, we do more experiments in the laboratory, while the Rossini Group works more on analysis and thus more on the spectrometer.

Also, it was interesting to see that the group meetings were held differently: Every week one member of the group had to give a talk on his research and another one on literature. In addition, the group leader gave a talk every other week.

How did you like Iowa? What were some highlights for you?

Professional highlights: I learned a lot about nuclear magnetic resonance, measurements in detail, and experimental work in general. It was great to get insights into the work at other institutes. Although some things are done differently, there are surprisingly many parallels.

Personally, I enjoyed the interaction with the Rossini Group team members, I was included in all activities as if I were a normal employee, from regular work activities to private outings. I had some time to explore Chicago and Des Moines and attended a basketball game. And: I had to speak English all the time, which I enjoyed very much.

Do you have any recommendations for someone looking to do a research stay?

Yes: Plan early enough. My trip was planned on very short notice and the preparations were quite stressful. A longer lead time is definitely more ideal and less stressful. It was a really great experience and I would definitely do it again!

Thank you for all the insights, Erik!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad: Advanced Solid-State NMR techniques in Iowa erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

CRC 1333 researcher Sofia Kolin from project A08 has successfully applied for funding to do research in Australia. The CRC board approved her application for funding within the CRC 1333-funding program for docotoral researchers “Research Stay Abroad”.

Sofia will be staying at the University of Adelaide in Australia for three months starting in November 2023, to work on her research project “Atomistic Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Characterization of Metal-Organic Frameworks” within the working group of Dr. Jack Evans.

Dr. Jack Evans is an expert in the field of all-atom (AA) Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations which are used to unravel local diffusion and confinement effects in Metalorganic Frameworks (MOFs). These can only be performed in specialized MD programs, which are currently not used in the MD group that Sofia is working in. She aims to learn to use these programs and to setup, perform and analyze AA MOF simulations during her research stay.

Since Dr. Jack Evans has also developed a statistical analysis of pore size distribution in MOFs, Sofia’s research stay in his group will give her the additional opportunity to analyze the pore size distribution in MOFs used in our CRC, which will lead to a better characterization and understanding of MOFs.

We wish Sofia all the best for her research in Australia!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – Congratulations to Sofia erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

CRC 1333 researcher M. Sc. Torsten Giess from our project INF has successfully applied for funding to do research in South Africa. The CRC board approved his application for funding within the CRC 1333 funding program for doctoral and postdoctoral researchers “Research Stay Abroad”.

Torsten will be staying there for two months at Stellenbosch University (Stellenbosch, South Africa) in the working group of  Prof. Johann Rohwer and will be working on his research project: “Towards FAIR NMR in catalysis: Extension and application of NMRpy, nmrML and EnzymeML“

At the biochemistry department of Stellenbosch University, Johann Rohwer applies NMR techniques for real-time measurements and kinetic model construction of metabolite pathways in vivo, in situ, and in vitro. In the course of this project, his group developed the open-source Python library NMRpy for the analysis of these experiments.

In cooperation with Deven Estes, Torsten’s research goal is to extend the powerful NMRpy toolbox towards chemistry in general and catalysis in particular. To this end, he will integrate two standardized data exchange formats:  nmrML for NMR data, and EnzymeML for catalytic data.  This will enable FAIR reporting of NMR experiments, with special focus on catalytic reactions. Finally, he will embed the resulting toolkit into the INF project to make it available to the whole CRC 1333.

We wish Torsten all the best for his research in South Africa!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – Congratulations to Torsten erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.

Felix will be staying there for three months at the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY, USA) in the working group of Prof. Dr. Michael Neidig.

Professor Neidig’s research interests fall within the areas of organometallic chemistry, non-precious metal catalysis in organic synthesis and f-element chemistry. His great expertise in spectroscopic analysis contributes to many collaborations around the world concentrating on the direct-molecular-level-insight into catalytic transformations with detailed understanding of active catalyst structure as well as ligand and additive effects. The spectroscopic knowledge in the Neidig Group comprises NMR and EPR spectroscopy and additionally Raman, UV-Vis, Magnetic Circular Dichroism (MCD) as well as Mößbauer spectroscopy. Especially the last three techniques represent an attractive support of the X-ray spectroscopy performed in project S1 gaining further information about the transition metal complexes used in the CRC 1333.

Felix’s goal is to start with the introduction into the measuring process of Mößbauer spectroscopy as well as the interpretation of the measured spectroscopic data. After the acquisition of this knowledge, different iron catalysts, that are planned to be immobilized within the project B1, will be analyzed. In addition, an introduction into the theoretical and practical aspects of UV-Vis and MCD spectroscopy will be part of the research stay in the Neidig group in order to incorporate these powerful spectroscopic tools in future investigations of reaction mechanisms and transition metal complexes.

We wish Felix all the best for his research in the USA!

Der Beitrag Research Stay Abroad – Congratulations to Felix erschien zuerst auf Collaborative Research Center 1333.