Ion Transport Group
Our group focuses on the transport of charge carriers in electrolyte solutions as well as ion exchange materials. A class of charged polymers that are often times used for ion selective membranes.
A deep understanding of the transport mechanisms for ions in different electrolytic materials is necessary for the further development of processes like the electrochemical purification of drinking water or recovery of precious salts from process streams. At the same time, we are looking into ion transport mechanisms in microscopic systems like organic electronic components.
Besides new processes like the flow capacitive deionisation for the continuous desalination of drinking water, we also focus on the development of new membrane materials. By combining different polymers in a layer by layer approach we are able to produce membranes with eg. novel separation properties.
Besides experimental facilities, we also develop several numerical models. They range from process simulation and neural networks to the simulation of charge transport based on first principles. They allow us to explain experimental results on a fundamental level and enable predictions for process improvement.