Building to heal – development of regenerative building

Guillaume Habert (Sustainable Construction, D-BAUG) Construction industry consumes 40% of all material extracted, but one can also turn this challenge into opportunities. New buildings can be an opportunity to mitigate environmental pressures and generate economic growth. Future construction can store…

SAM Pub Night 2019

The SAM Pub Night, generously sponsored by the Materials Alumni, will take place on the 12th of November 2019 at the Materials Science Pub. Join us at 18:30 for beer, snacks and some relaxing time together. Join our poker tournament…

Topological mechanical metamaterials

Sebastian Huber (D-PHYS) The elastic properties of materials are determined by a few material constants such as the Young’s modulus. Using super-​structures one can effectively change these “constants”. In this way we obtain functionalities such as wave-​guiding, acoustic lensing or…

Stick-slip: the sounds of Jean Tinguely

Rowena Crockett (EMPA Dübendorf) The sculptures of the Swiss artist Jean Tinguely are rusty, steel constructions that generate a high-pitched squeal during motion. While the sculptures are visually remarkable, an essential component of the work is the noise. Unfortunately, the…

Battery materials and their operando characterization

Petr Novák (D-CHAB/PSI) Li-ion batteries are to dominate the high-end rechargeable energy storage market for a foreseeable future. Research and development of commercially relevant electrode/electrolyte systems focus today strongly on extending the lifetime of the cells. Progress is however hampered…