Under the motto “Playtime,” the TV show "Die Sendung mit der Maus" (WDR) is once again hosting its Open Door Day on October 3^rd. MausFans will have the opportunity to look behind doors that would otherwise remain closed to them.

On October 3^rd from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., MausFans got a glimpse behind the doors of Technical Chemistry. We showed children aged 6 and up the path from molecules to membranes and their applications in a playful way.

Going to the University during your school summer holidays?  "Yes, of course!" was the answer of over 20 school students who listened to Prof. Roth's introductory lecture on membranes. 

Beginning from natural membranes within our body, like the kidney, Hannah Roth introduced the kids to synthetic membranes, demonstrated membrane fabrication live on stage, and introduced the technical application in advanced drinking water treatment. The lecture was closed with a demonstration of heat and mass transfer by making ice cream using liquid nitrogen.

Since April 2025, Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hannah Roth has taken the role of Head of Chair of Technical Chemistry II at the University of Duisburg‑Essen. With her leadership, the chair continues to advance frontier research in hollow‑fiber membrane fabrication and functional polymer materials.

Prof. Roth's research will focus on membranes for water, energy, and medical applications. Thus, contributing to major challenges like clean water supply, sustainable energy conversion and storage, and improved medical care. 

Viktor Schaufler, doctoral candidate at TC II, was awarded at this year’s EMS Network Young Membrains (NYM) 2024 for his outstanding poster presentation. In his research project, he develops fluorine-free ion-exchange membranes based on thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes, which utilize anionic and cationic ionomers. These membranes enable the selective removal and recovery of ions and organic micropollutants in the partial desalination and treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater, while maintaining high chemical stability. They offer a promising alternative to existing polyamide membranes and are particularly resistant to oxidative agents like chlorine. Additionally, they provide a solid foundation for coating with polyelectrolytes to create polyelectrolyte complex nanofiltration membranes.