Category: 360 degrees Chemistry
In this category, participants were asked to submit extraordinary or exiting snapshots of their work in the lab, to capture studying and research in action, or to visualise their research process.
1st place: Flask in the evening sun
By Alexander Rosner, doctoral candidate at Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
Flask in the evening sun. This photo was taken after a long day of tricky purification of an aromatic heterocyclic ligand. It nicely solidified in the shape of flowers. Or snowflakes. Or leaves. Or corals. Whatever, it is beautiful. (© Alexander Rosner)
Runner-up: Shooting Lasers at Molecules … for Science
By Clara Saak, postdoc at Department of Physical Chemistry
Laser light is used to elucidate the movement and reactions of molecules at surfaces and interfaces. More advanced techniques even require multiple laser beams. The laser beams are guided via mirrors and other optics to the sample. In this picture the sample is water in contact with air shown on the right-hand side. Experiments on the water-air interface are crucial for understanding phenomena like cloud nucleation, which improves the accuracy of climate models. We also apply this technique to various other systems, such as photo-catalysts in contact with water to gain insights into the hydrogen production using sunlight. (© Clara Saak)
Runner-up: Catalytic Cocktail
By Olivera Cvetkovic, doctoral candidate at Institute of Chemical Catalysis
Catalysis lies at the core of the processes without which the world as we know it would be unimaginable. Countless commodities of modern life are the result of this relatively simple concept. Just a drop of a catalyst in the cocktail of substrates can make seemingly impossible chemical transformations take place and bring the wheels of reaction mechanisms in motion. The task of my doctoral project at the Institute of Chemical Catalysis is to design metal catalysts and harness their catalytic activity to easily assemble more complex molecular scaffolds, that can then serve as building blocks for pharmaceuticals and industrially relevant products. Our choice of biocompatible and abundant metals in catalyst design leads to the production of almost no harmful waste in the strive to create a better world. (© Olivera Cvetkovic)
Highly recommended: Co-Corporeality: Bacterial Cellulose in a Dry State supported by 3D printed polymer structure
By Neptun Yousefi, Postdoc at Institute of Materials Chemistry and Research
The image shows a dried layer of bacterial cellulose, which is supported by a 3D printed polymer structure. The bacterial cellulose grows into a thick layer if growth conditions are optimal. The polymer structure is carrying the bacterial cellulose offering support and creating a composite at the same time. As part of our project exhibition, we dried the bacterial cellulose to illustrate the change of wet and dry bacterial cellulose. In the dry state, the bacterial cellulose is rather brittle. (© Neptun Yousefi)
Highly recommended: Magie oder doch Chemie?
By Lisa-Maria Lang, bachelor student of Lehramt Sek (AB) Unterrichtsfach Chemie
Mit Hilfe von magisch wirkenden Experimenten, überlegen wir uns im Zuge des Schulversuchspraktikum Teil A, wie wir für unsere spätere Laufbahn als Lehrer*innen, den Schüler*innen das Fach Chemie spannend und eindrucksvoll zeigen können. Wir erproben durch kurze Microteaching-Einheiten, wie wir verschiedene Versuche in den Chemieunterricht einbauen können. Experimente, wie die abgebbildete Methanmamba wirken auf den ersten Blick für Lernenden wie Zauberei, sind jedoch chemisch zu erklären und erwecken Interesse in den Schüler*innen. Mit der Hoffnung später innovative Wissenschaftler aus ein paar der Lernenden zu machen, bemühen wir uns einen interessanten und aktivierenden Unterricht zu erarbeiten. Die Jugend ist unsere Zukunft, deshalb müssen wir jetzt schon dafür sorgen kompetente Lehrkräfte mit gutem Unterricht haben, die den Kindern möglichst viel für ihr späteres Leben mitgeben. (© Lisa-Maria Lang)
Highly recommended: Purple wave
By Yasmin Borutzki, doctoral candidate at Institutes of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry
Photo of the dissolvation effect of DMSO on formazan crystals during a MTT assay (© Yasmin Borutzki)
In this category, 18 submissions were reviewed by the jury. The jury comprised representatives of all organising partners: Bernhard Keppler, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry; Christian Becker, Vice Dean / Head of DoSChem; Angelika Menner, Head of SPL Chemie; Peter Lieberzeit, Studienpräses; Giorgia Del Favero, Head of core facility Multimodal Imaging; photographer: Joseph Krpelan / www.derknopfdruecker.com; DoSChem Coordination: Elena Rastew & DoSChem student representation: Philip Verdross; STV representative: Inge Timea Dreyer.