Materials Science, Doru C. Lupascu Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil.
June 2026High school pupils visit our laboratories!
On June 29, 2026, pupils from the Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium and the Helmholtz-Gymnasium visited our laboratories to gain insight into practical research work. The day was structured as an internship, offering participants the opportunity to experience scientific working methods firsthand.
As part of the program, the pupils witnessed various experiments and research activities in real time. These included the production of ceramics, demonstrations of flash sintering, and experiments in the fields of photocatalysis and photovoltaics. Researchers explained the underlying processes, answered questions, and provided insights into current applications in materials science.
The visit offered the pupils a valuable opportunity to combine theoretical knowledge with practical experience and to gain an impression of the day-to-day reality of research in a modern laboratory.
March 2026Project on fire safety
Photovoltaics are a key component of the energy transition; however, from a fire safety perspective, they have not yet been considered part of the flat roof assembly.
Our project focuses on the safe design of this combination of building elements, analyzing the interaction between the PV system and the flat roof as an integrated whole. The interplay of the photovoltaic module, mounting structure, and roof assembly significantly alters fire dynamics.
Based on large-scale fire tests and measurement data, Mr. Kicmari is developing system-oriented criteria for the testing and risk assessment of these assemblies. The image shows fire scenarios involving this type of construction.
November 2025It is time for HEROES
Our new project, "High-Entropy Relaxor Oxide Ceramics for Electrical Energy Storage" (HEROES), funded by DFG, aims to find new materials with high permittivity and energy storage density. We expect this to be possible in materials with increased chemical disorder, where high configurational entropy improves both polarizability and dielectric strength. The project will study the formation of a high-entropy state in anti- and ferroelectric compounds of the niobate family (XNbO3), identify the correlation between functional properties, structural and polar disorder, and identify ceramic materials with excellent electrical energy storage properties that could potentially be used to fabricate multilayer capacitors.