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In: Energymaterials

By summer student Nargis Kholmamatova > Remember the money that you spend to pay water bills: do you know where it goes? While it is different from country to country, the general distribution process should be the same. First, a portion of your money is spent to pretreat the river water to make it safe to drink for you. Second, it covers post-treatment of your wastewater to safely return it to the environment. Lastly, the rest of your bills are spent for the maintenance of all of the equipment that is used to keep the whole water treatment system running. The water itself, as aRead More →

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In: Energymaterials

By summer student Qiujing Gou > As society transitions toward large-scale adoption of green energy, we need high-performance batteries to store electricity. Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, owing to their high theoretical energy density (>1000 Wh/kg vs. approximately 250 Wh/kg for state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries) and the low-cost and abundance of sulfur, are considered to be one of the most promising technologies for next-generation energy storage solutions. My research at HZB During the summer school at HZB, I investigated a novel water-based biopolymer binder, chitosan for the sulfur cathode. Chitosan, made from seafood waste, is an eco-friendly material. Through modification, it becomes water-soluble and more suitable for lithium-sulfurRead More →

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In: Energymaterials

By summer student Mehdi Belbekouche > “Hallo” was the first German word I learned, and thanks to HZB, I’ve had the chance to learn much more about the German language and Germany itself. Although in the beginning, I mostly said “HALLO” then communicated in English, by the end, I was always proud to say “DANKE,” feeling like I truly knew how to speak German.Read More →

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By summerstudent Yara Mahboub > I am Yara, a bachelor student in my 5th year of the nanoelectronics engineering program, and I joined a whole team of physicists. I guess if there was a reason that made Facebook invent the ‘it’s complicated’ status, it would definitely be to describe the physicists/engineers’ relationship.Read More →

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In: Energymaterials, Lightsources, PhDlife

Science produces fascinating images. For two weeks, the most beautiful scientific images were exhibited in the foyer of the BESSY II X-ray source in Berlin-Adlershof. But it’s about much more than aesthetics: Helmholtz Imaging offers a great network that bundles expertise in imaging. Researchers benefit from this unbureaucratically and completely free of charge. Philipp Heuser from Helmholtz Imaging told me exactly what’s behind it during a roadshow at HZB.Read More →

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In: Energymaterials, International, International Collaboration, Science Communication

The Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has long-standing cooperations with research institutions in Israel, often leading to close friendships over the years. One such friendship developed with David Cahen. As a renowned Professor of Chemistry, Physics and Material Research (emeritus), he runs a group at the Weizmann Institute of Science (and at Bar Ilan University) in Israel, where he works today on sustainable materials for energy conversion, especially Solar Cells. At the end of his fellowship at HZB in the month of September 2023, he told Ulrike Goldenblatt what he took away from his time in Berlin. (Please note, this interview was held before the atrocious terroristRead More →

HZB booth at Intersolar Europe

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In: Conference, Energymaterials, International, Science Communication

The Intersolar trade fair, held in Munich from June 14th to 16th, served as a global platform for experts, industry leaders, and enthusiasts to explore the latest developments in the solar energy sector. Intersolar is part of “The smarter E,” four different exhibitions, Intersolar, ees, Power2Drive and EM-Power, focusing on renewable energy and highlighting groundbreaking advancements in the field – this year under the motto: “Creating a new energy world”. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), participates every year to Intersolar and presents its research expertise and technological achievements. The HZB booth at Intersolar Europe 2023 At HZB’s booth this year, we presented the main aspects of ourRead More →

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In: Careers, Diversity, Energymaterials, International, International Collaboration, Science Communication

The BESSY@HZB User Meeting welcomes 17 scientists from Kenya. They come from six different universities. One of them is Robert Ngure; he is a Master’s student in material science at Egerton university. He tells us more about his fascination for science and what he expects from his visit to Adlershof. Robert Ngure graduated in June 2019 and enrolled a few months later for a Master’s degree in science. In most universities in Kenya, you study for one year before you choose a specialisation. Robert’s decision was relatively straightforward: “I am convinced that material science is very relevant for my country. From the beginning, my goalRead More →

Portrait of Tabitha Amollo

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In: BESSYBeamlineScientists, Conference, Energymaterials, International, International Collaboration, PhDlife, Science Communication

Dr. Tabitha A. Amollo is a researcher and lecturer at Egerton University in Njoro in Kenya. She holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her research interests focus on developing cutting-edge nanomaterials for energy conversion devices including graphene nanomaterials. She published a number of articles in reputable journals. At Egerton University, she is the head of a young team to explore dye-sensitive solar cells, she is a chairperson of the Physics Department, and she coordinates the undergraduate program and gives lectures to undergraduates and postgraduate physics students. Here in Germany, there are not many women in physics. How is itRead More →