Super-invar alloy, distinguished by their extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) below the Curie point, have promising applications in fields requiring high dimensional stability, such as electrical communication, aerospace, precision measuring devices, and railway transport. However, the machining of super-invar alloy component is challenging due to their low heat conductivity, high ductility, and noticeable work hardening. Addressing this challenge, researchers from Beijing Institute of Technology and Beijing Institute of Aerospace Systems Engineering, have manufactured a thin-wall rectangular sample by the hot-wire technique based on wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM).

As for WAAM, the deposited process is important because it can affect the surface quality and the mechanical properties of the deposited parts. In order to ensure the stability of the manufacturing process, an industrial high-speed camera is used to observe the manufacturing process. Researchers analyzed the transfer mode of liquid droplets during the manufacturing process and found that the main transfer mode was liquid bridge transition, which minimizes the impact on the molten pool and guarantees a better surface of the deposited parts.

The unique micro-structure was found in super-invar alloy specimens, it was columnar cellular micro-structure. Researchers established a numerical simulation model and obtained the temperature gradient and the solidification rate. In order to verify the accuracy of the temperature simulation, the infrared thermal imager was applied to measure the temperature distribution during the actual manufacturing process. Finally they found that the formation of the columnar cellular micro-structure is associated with the value of G/R.

The uniformity of the hardness distribution along the deposition direction of the sample reflects the uniformity of the material deposition and the stability of the manufacturing process. Researchers found that the hardness of the sample is uniformly distributed along the deposition direction, with a 152HV_0.2 average hardness.The anisotropy of the mechanical properties was found in super-invar alloy specimens, the longitudinal specimens have better mechanical properties. In addition, both longitudinal and transverse specimens have ductile fractures.

As a low-expansion material, the coefficient of thermal expansion of super-invar alloy is the most interesting parameter for all researchers. In this study, super-invar alloy samples have an extremely low coefficient of thermal expansion, which was measured to be 0.265×10^-6 K^-1 from 20 ℃ to 100 ℃.

While the team acknowledges the need for further refinement in manufacturing process of super-invar alloy, this research offers some insights into the super-invar alloy components manufactured by WAAM. By verifying the mechanical properties and the coefficient of thermal expansion, this study lays the foundation for better applications in some areas of precision engineering.

Original Source: https://www.elspub.com/papers/j/1863492928905596928.html

Original Publication
Shuijun Ye, Lindong Xu, Yueling Guo, Xinglong Di, Qifei Han, Yuanxuan Zheng, Xingchen Li
Journal: Advanced Manufacturing
Method of Research: Computational simulation/modeling
Article Title: Microstructure and mechanical properties of super-invar alloy fabricated by wire-arc additive manufacturing
Article Publication Date: 20-Feb-2025
DOI: 10.55092/am20250005

Media Contact
Jenny He
ELSP
jenny.he@elspub.com

Source: EurekAlert!

The post Exploring Super-Invar Alloy’s Mechanical Properties and Microstructure appeared first on Innovations Report.

A recent study published in Science Advances, led by PhD student Gil Weinberg, MSc student Elad Sunray, and Prof. Ori Katz from the Institute of Applied Physics at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, introduces a new approach to fluorescence imaging. This innovative method overcomes the detrimental effects of extreme light scattering in conventional fluorescence microscopy—one of the most crucial imaging techniques in life sciences. Supported by the European Research Council funding, the study unveils a high-resolution imaging technique capable of resolving complex scattering media, with promising applications in biological research, materials science, and beyond.

Random light scattering within or through dense and complex samples often hinders fluorescence imaging, leading to significant image distortion. While noninvasive coherent imaging through complex media has progressed in recent years, fluorescence imaging has remained limited by requirements for sparse targets, complex wavefront controls, or large data sets.

The researchers demonstrate megapixel-scale image reconstruction with fewer than 150 widefield fluorescence-microscope frames acquired under unknown random changing illuminations, all without using spatial light modulators (SLMs) or intensive computational resources. Its memory-efficient implementation drastically reduces computational demands, enabling the imaging of large and intricate samples. Unlike previous approaches, this technique does not depend on assumptions about object sparsity or requires managing low-order wavefront distortions.

Central to the approach is the construction of a ‘virtual fluorescence-based reflection matrix,’ an analog to the well-studied coherent reflection matrix in optics and ultrasound imaging, using a limited number of randomly illuminated frames. Once this mathematical equivalence is formulated, any of the well-established, powerful computational scattering-compensation techniques developed for coherent imaging can be applied to incoherent fluorescence imaging.

This advancement improves biological research, enabling clearer visualization of structures within dense tissues. Its compatibility with conventional microscopy setups enhances accessibility for both academic and industrial researchers, contributing to progress in optical imaging and providing new possibilities for exploring complex systems.

Journal: Science Advances
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adl5218
Method of Research: Experimental study
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Noninvasive megapixel fluorescence microscopy through scattering layers by a virtual incoherent reflection-matrix
Article Publication Date: 20-Nov-2024

Media Contact

Danae Marx
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
danaemc@savion.huji.ac.il
Cell: 524334557

www.huji.ac.il

The post Megapixel Fluorescence Microscopy Simplified Through Scattering appeared first on Innovations Report.

Piezoelectric thin films are highly crystalline layers whose material is deformed when an electrical voltage is applied, allowing sound pulses to be emitted, for example. Ultrasonic pulses can be emitted by adjusting film properties and thickness, as well as applying this voltage very quickly. For better resolution of the ultrasonic microscopes, higher frequencies are necessary. The requirements for the coating quality and corresponding process quality increase significantly as the target frequency increases.

In order to meet these growing demands, six partners are working on the digitalization of coating processes for the production of high-resolution piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors as part of the DigiMatUs joint project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In this context, the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP in Dresden is developing a digital twin of the coating process for piezoelectric thin films based on aluminum nitride (AlN) and aluminum scandium nitride (AlScN).

The coating deposition takes place at the Fraunhofer FEP cluster facilities using pulse magnetron sputtering processes. The various process parameters and influencing factors and their effects on the layer properties are investigated and digitally recorded. The data analysis is based on an ontology for thin-film materials and processes developed jointly with the project partners. An ontology describes a formal system for classifying and structuring knowledge in a specific subject area in order to clearly depict relationships and properties.

The resulting digital mapping of materials and processes enables precise modelling and optimization of process sequences. This allows detailed analysis of process and material properties, which leads to improved performance and reproducibility of the ultrasonic sensors and also enables further development steps to be implemented more efficiently.

“The development of the models poses a particular challenge, as a large number of process parameters and their interactions have to be taken into account. In particular, the comparatively small number of data points combined with a large parameter space places high demands on the development of a robust representation of reality. The Fraunhofer FEP is contributing its many years of expertise in thin-film processing and characterization, thus creating the basis for more efficient and digitally supported production,” explains Dr. Stephan Barth, project manager at the Fraunhofer FEP.

The project uses state-of-the-art technologies such as ontologies and artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and describe the correlations between the process parameters. For example, predictions can be made about the effect of changes in the coating process – such as the adjustment of cathode voltages, substrate temperature or coating pressure – on the material properties. This enables targeted optimization of the coatings and improves the efficiency of process development.

In the course of the project to date, a first version of the thin-film ontology has been developed together with the project partners, the digital recording and processing of system and process parameters of the systems at Fraunhofer FEP has been expanded, and various material properties of the thin films on the glass bodies of the lenses have been determined as a function of these parameters. Test substrates were coated at the Fraunhofer FEP facilities and shipped to the project partners to enable characterization along the rest of the value chain. The collected data forms the basis for the development of the AI models of the project partner Otto -von-Guericke University Magdeburg. Over the course of the project, the ontology and AI models will be successively developed further in order to better reflect reality. Based on the models developed, further coatings of test substrates for characterization will be carried out at Fraunhofer FEP and at the project partners to improve the models.

In addition to the optimization of ultrasonic sensor technology, the project results also open up new possibilities for other applications based on thin-film technologies. The digital mapping of the material and process data by the thin-film ontology and the AI models can be reused and transferred to similar coating processes, which will greatly accelerate the research and development of new materials in the future.

Project information

DigiMatUs – Digitalization of materials research on thin-film materials
using the example of high-resolution piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors

Funding authority: Federal Ministry of Education and Research
Funding reference: 13XP5187D
Project duration: 01.04.2023 – 31.03.2026

Project partners:

PVA TePla Analytical Systems GmbH
Digitalization of coating processes and material research of piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors

scia Systems GmbH
Definition of the hardware interface to the sensor system

Plasus GmbH
Digitalization of process diagnostics for vacuum deposition processes

Fraunhofer FEP
Digital description of deposition processes for piezoelectric thin films

Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
Ontology development and neurosymbolic predictions for piezoelectric thin-film deposition processes

Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Characterization and simulation-driven optimization of thin-film systems for ultrasound microscopy

Press contact:

Ms. Annett Arnold

Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP
Phone +49 351 2586 333 | presse@fep.fraunhofer.de
Winterbergstraße 28 | 01277 Dresden | Germany | www.fep.fraunhofer.de

Weitere Informationen:

https://s.fhg.de/dw7N
http://www.materialdigital.de/project/16

The post Digitalizing Coating Processes for Enhanced Ultrasonic Sensors appeared first on Innovations Report.

Combating an invasive species and reaping economic benefits at the same time? What sounds like a contradiction in terms has been successfully achieved by DITF scientists in a joint project with several companies.

Water hyacinth is a rapidly spreading plant that has been recognized as a threat to existing ecosystems in many countries around the world. In particular, Lake Victoria in Africa is suffering from the widespread spread of water hyacinth. Fish deaths due to oxygen depletion, the production of climate-damaging methane gas during decomposition, and the obstruction of shipping and energy production are among the most prominent problems. They offer a grim preview of what is on the horizon in many other countries. As an invasive species, water hyacinth is spreading into many ecosystems around the world as a result of human activities, threatening the quality of human life.

Hot press used for the tests at the DITF, Lauffer VCP500. (c) DITF

Several approaches have been taken to control the spread of water hyacinth. The main focus is on removing the carpet of plants from the water and then recycling the resulting biomass. This is also the starting point for the research project co-led by the DITF, which aims to produce a new, cost-effective composite material from the fibrous plant material. The result is a prototype plant pot that is competitive and meets all the technical requirements of the project objectives.

At the beginning of the project, the project partners defined the material requirements for the plant pot. These include good dimensional stability, which must also be ensured when the pot is filled with wet soil. The use of physiologically harmless materials for contact with food plants is also an important requirement, as is a cost-effective and therefore competitive production method. However, the main focus is on complete biodegradability and thus the unrestricted compostability of the plant pot.

The biomaterial for the production of the plant pots comes from Louisiana and is directly marketed by In-Between International under the product name CYNTHIA®. This raw material has been extensively tested and modified at the DITF with regard to its composition and suitability for technical processing. It consists mainly of cellulose and must first be screened and treated with a hydrophobic agent for further processing. Hydrophobing is necessary to give the plant pots a certain resistance to moisture.

The prepared raw material now needs to be combined with a binder. The binder binds the plant fibers and ensures the dimensional stability of the plant pot. Laboratory tests with various binders have identified those that guarantee good processability and dimensional stability of the fiber composite. A thermoplastic was selected that was easy to process in a hot press and that fully met the requirements for biodegradability.
Further laboratory tests determined the ideal ratio of binder to fiber raw material. Tests in an industrial composting plant showed that the material was fully biodegradable and that the plant pots would decompose within a reasonable period of time – a stability of 4-6 weeks was the project goal.

The researchers produced test samples for all these preliminary tests in the form of fiber composite panels on a hot press. The next step was to produce the first prototypes of plant pots from the pre-treated fiber material with the appropriate binder. This part was carried out by the project partner, Fiber Engineering GmbH from Karlsruhe. This company has extensive expertise in the field of fiber injection molding (FIM), which makes it possible to produce 3-dimensional molded parts from fibers in simple and fast process steps. Fiber Engineering GmbH has optimized its existing process for processing the water hyacinth fiber material. It produced a series of plant pots and thus realized the last step of the project objective.

A cost calculation, taking into account all the materials and processes used, confirmed that the plant pots could be produced extremely cheaply at a production price of less than five cents per pot, making them marketable. In daily use, garden centers will appreciate the haptic advantages – strength and moisture resistance despite the fact that the material is completely biodegradable. The fact that the material used is helping to solve a global environmental problem should be another plus when it comes to marketing the product.

Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:

Dr. Iris Elser
German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber Research
Head of Competence Center ‘Polymers & Fiber Composites’
T +49 (0)711 93 40-274
iris.elser@ditf.de

Dr. Hagen Altmann
German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber Research
Competence Center ‘Polymers & Fiber Composites’
T +49 (0)711 93 40-396
hagen.altmann@ditf.de

Patrick Kaiser
German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber Research
Competence Center ‘Polymers & Fiber Composites’
T +49 (0)711 93 40-482
patrick.kaiser@ditf.de

https://www.ditf.de/de/

The post Water hyacinth plant pots – utilization of an invasive species appeared first on Innovations Report.

The inventors (from left), group leader Dr. Ali H. Shaib and Professor Dr. Silvio O. Rizzoli, director of the Department for Neuro- and Sensory Physiology at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG). (c) A. Shaib

Fluorescence imaging is one of the most versatile and widely used tools in biology to observe biological processes in living cells. Despite advances in technology and improvements in resolution, the visualization of single molecules and the organization of molecular complexes using fluorescence microscopy remains a challenge. Until now, this was only possible using expensive structural biology methods such as electron microscopy (EM) and, in particular, cryo-EM, in which the samples are imaged with a very strong electron beam at an extremely low temperature.

A research team led by Professor Dr. Silvio O. Rizzoli, director of the Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology at the University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG), spokesperson of the Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration (BIN) and member of the Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging: from molecular machines to networks of excitable cells” (MBExC), and Dr. Ali Shaib, group leader at the Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology at the UMG, have now developed a method using a few simple but effective tricks to visualize individual molecules in detail using conventional light microscopy. Instead of using expensive, high-resolution microscopes to improve the resolution, they developed One-step Nanoscale Expansion (ONE) microscopy.

In this method, the volume of the sample is increased by binding the cells and the structures therein to a water-absorbing gel that penetrates the cells. By absorbing water, the gel increases up to 15 times its volume. This causes the molecules in the sample to move apart evenly and also become larger, so that they can be imaged with a light microscope after being specifically labeled with fluorescent molecules. Combined with a method based on artificial intelligence to evaluate the fluorescence changes, the scientists have succeeded for the first time in doing what was previously only possible with high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray technology: “We are now able to reconstruct 3D protein structures from two-dimensional fluorescence images,” says Professor Rizzoli.

This offers an unprecedented opportunity to directly visualize fine structural details of individual proteins as well as multiprotein complexes in cells or in isolation. Changes in the spatial structure of proteins can also be easily detected with ONE microscopy. In a collaboration with colleagues from Göttingen and Kassel, molecular protein aggregates, which are typical of Parkinson’s disease, were imaged and classified in cerebrospinal fluid samples from patients. This is promising for improved early detection of Parkinson’s disease, which affects millions of people worldwide.

ONE microscopy is a simple and cost-effective method that can be carried out in any laboratory with a conventional microscope and achieves a resolution level of around one nanometer. This is about 100,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. The authors provide the necessary software as a free open source package. The newly developed method has now been published in the renowned journal Nature Biotechnology. Due to its high potential, Nature has included ONE microscopy in its list of “seven technologies to keep an eye on in 2024”.

About the ONE microscopy method

The resolution of conventional light microscopes is limited by the laws of optics: Objects smaller than 200 nanometers, such as antibodies with a size of around 15 nanometers, appear blurred and cannot be made visible separately if they are less than 200 nanometers apart. Super-resolution microscopy circumvents this diffraction limit with optical tricks, so that resolutions of up to ten nanometers and less can be achieved. However, this requires very expensive microscopes. ONE microscopy relies on a magnification of the sample volume in order to circumvent this diffraction limit. Cells and the structures they contain are first chemically bound to a water-absorbing gel, as found in baby diapers. By absorbing water, the gel expands together with the sample, causing the individual molecules to move away from each other. The additional effect of heat or enzymes leads to the splitting of the protein molecules. Individual fragments are formed, which are moved evenly in different directions during the large-scale expansion by up to 15 times, while their spatial arrangement is retained. Targeted labeling with fluorescent molecules then allows the individual protein fragments, which are now located at a distance above the diffraction limit, to be imaged using a conventional light microscope. “We were surprised to see that we can actually visualize the Y-shape of antibodies with fluorescence microscopy,” says Professor Rizzoli. “Combined with artificial intelligence (encoder-decoder model), we have succeeded for the first time in reconstructing the three-dimensional structure of individual protein molecules from two-dimensional fluorescence images, based on conventional light microscopy.”

A comparison was made between ONE microscopy and high-resolution cryo-EM microscopy. The determined protein structure of the GABAA receptor, which controls the activity of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, showed how well the new method worked. “ONE microscopy makes it possible to visualize the entire structure of the GABAA receptor. This consists of 15 to 20 percent disordered loops, which have to be averaged from up to one hundred thousand image data using cryo-EM. As these loops are flexible components, i.e. they can vary from receptor to receptor, these image data cannot be averaged adequately. The loops are therefore not recognizable. With ONE microscopy, the first individual images of the entire molecule are available less than 72 hours after the start of expansion,” says Dr. Shaib. “This technique makes it possible to achieve resolutions of more than ten nanometers even with an older light microscope. For comparison, our genetic material, DNA, has a diameter of around 2.5 nanometers and could be imaged using this technique. Any laboratory, regardless of its financial resources, can produce very high-resolution images using the ONE microscopy technique. This is a revolution in microscopy with long-term implications for both science and technology.

Various application potential for diagnostics

ONE microscopy makes it possible to detect changes in the shape of damaged or toxic proteins in human samples and therefore offers a wide range of potential applications. In order for proteins to perform their correct function within the cell, they must adopt a three-dimensional structure. This is achieved by folding the protein, a process in which errors can occur. Misfolded proteins are either degraded or lead to toxic deposits in the cells. In addition, there is a deficiency of the corresponding protein and an associated loss of function in the cell and in the organism as a whole. “ONE microscopy could enable a visual diagnosis of protein misfolding diseases such as Parkinson’s disease based on blood samples,” says Professor Rizzoli. Using ONE microscopy, it has already been possible to image and classify the aggregates of the alpha-synuclein protein in cerebrospinal fluid samples from Parkinson’s patients. A misfolding of alpha-synuclein leads to the formation of these aggregates, which are deposited in the brain and are responsible for the death of nerve cells. “Since we can easily recognize the shape of these aggregates, there is the possibility of an early diagnosis of this neurodegenerative disease,” says Professor Rizzoli. “This would give patients access to early, effective and personalized treatment before the brain is too severely damaged.”

The Göttingen Cluster of Excellence 2067 Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells (MBExC) has been funded since January 2019 as part of the Excellence Strategy of the German federal and state governments. In a unique interdisciplinary research approach, the development of new imaging technologies is being driven forward in order to map the disease-relevant functional units of electrically active heart and nerve cells, from the molecular to the organ level. To this end, MBExC brings together numerous university and non-university partners at the Göttingen Campus. The overarching goal is to understand the connection between heart and brain diseases, to link basic and clinical research and thus to develop new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches with social implications.

The University Medical Center Göttingen (UMG) unites the Medical Faculty of the Georg-August University and the University Hospital in an integration model. In addition to research and teaching, patient care is the third central focus of the UMG. With around 1,600 inpatient and day-care beds, the hospital is the only maximum care provider in southern Lower Saxony. With almost 9,700 employees, the UMG and its subsidiaries are one of the largest employers in the region. Around 60 clinical and research departments stand for high-quality patient care, excellent research and modern teaching. All basic medical disciplines are represented, as well as a wide range of specialist medical disciplines in diagnostics and therapy. Every year, the UMG treats around 60,000 inpatients and around 220,000 outpatients. Further information: https://www.umg.eu/

Göttingen as a city of science is located in the center of Germany and the University Medical Center is integrated into an attractive network of university and non-university scientific institutions.

Wissenschaftliche Ansprechpartner:

University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August-University
Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology
Professor Dr. Silvio O. Rizzoli
Humboldtallee 23, 37073 Göttingen
silvio.rizzoli@med.uni-goettingen.de

Originalpublikation:

Shaib AH, Chouaib AA, Chowdhury R, Altendorf J, Mihaylov D, Zhang C, Krah D, Imani V, Spencer RKW, Georgiev SV, Mougios N, Monga M, Reshetniak S, Mimoso T, Chen H, Fatehbasharzad P, Crzan D, Saal KA, Alawieh MM, Alawar N, Eilts J, Kang J, Soleimani A, Müller M, Pape C, Alvarez L, Trenkwalder C, Mollenhauer B, Outeiro TF, Köster S, Preobraschenski J, Becherer U, Moser T, Boyden ES, Aricescu AR, Sauer M, Opazo F, Rizzoli SO (2024) One-step nanoscale expansion microscopy reveals protein shapes using conventional microscopes. Nature Biotechnology, 2024. DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02431-9.

Weitere Informationen:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-024-02431-9 – Original publication
https://www.rizzoli-lab.de – Department of Neuro- and Sensory Physiology at the UMG
https://mbexc.de – The Cluster of Excellence „Multiscale Bioimaging: from molecular machines to networks of excitable cells“ (MBExC)

https://www.umg.eu/news-detail/news-detail/detail/news/one-mikroskopie-mit-dem-lichtmikroskop-vom-molekuel-zur-3d-struktur/

The post ONE Microscopy: 3D Imaging of Protein Structures Unveiled appeared first on Innovations Report.

Fine chemicals are viewed in the chemical industry as very high-value products. They are required wherever large quantities are less of a concern than precision effects and high purity levels, such as in the production of pharmaceuticals. Manufacturing fine chemicals is complex and typically requires multiple successive reaction steps. The methods used to synthesize them have been established for many years, but they have also largely reached their limits in technical terms.

Fraunhofer researchers have now developed an innovative synthesis process for manufacturing fine chemicals as part of two shared projects. While conventional methods rely on a sequence of different reactors and stirrer tanks, in which the product solution must be prepared and moved to a different vessel after every reaction for the next step, the new method involves creating the final product in a continuous synthesis cascade, ideally within a single reactor. This method significantly enhances process efficiency and makes production more sustainable by shortening retooling times and reducing the amount of energy needed. These benefits directly affect the carbon emissions from the synthesis process, along with its costs.

Four Fraunhofer institutes teamed up to achieve this: the Fraunhofer Institutes for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IME, for Silicate Research ISC, for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB, and for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM.

Catalysis using enzymes and light

The process devised by the Fraunhofer researchers is based on an innovative combination of two catalysis methods. Photocatalysts, which are activated with light, are combined with enzymes, which also act as catalysts. The enzymes are either applied to transparent films, which immobilizes them, or used as particles in the reaction medium. Project manager Dr. Michaela Müller from Fraunhofer IGB explains the new method’s advantages: “This way, we keep the catalysts from floating around freely in the solution, which requires them to be filtered out or removed after every step in a time-consuming and laborious process. The immobilized enzymes or catalysts can stay in the reactor while the reaction product continuously forms. If the enzymes become inactive, they are easy to replace without having to interrupt the process.”

“The light-driven catalysis for the cascade reactions doesn’t require particularly high temperatures, so it is highly compatible with biocatalysis and also conserves energy as a result,” explains Dr. Thomas Rehm, the project manager at Fraunhofer IMM who specializes in sustainable synthesis in flow-through reactors. For maximum effectiveness in bringing the light into contact with the photocatalyst and the reaction solution, the flow-through reactors used are equipped with films or with thin, transparent plastic tubes known as capillaries. The input solution is either pumped through the reactor’s capillaries — including the catalyst particles and a gas to improve sediment transport — or fed in via the transparent polymer film used to carry the photocatalysts and enzymes.

Because the cascade reaction uses enzymes, the new method is especially well suited to manufacturing the “chiral” fine chemicals frequently used in pharmaceuticals. These chemical compounds are based on molecules that have an exact mirror-image structure but cannot be superposed on each other through rotation, much like human hands. This is known as stereoisomerism. The chiral molecule can have completely different effects depending on the version, or isomer — the left or right hand, in this analogy. For this reason, deliberately producing only one isomer with as high a level of purity as possible is important in order to achieve maximum positive effect.

Technological advance in chemical production

To realize the novel catalytic method, the four Fraunhofer Institutes combined their respective research expertise and worked together in an interdisciplinary approach. This resulted in much more than just a new method: The Fraunhofer experts have developed a modular technology platform for producing various classes of fine chemicals. This means feasibility studies can be conducted for industry customers to tailor their desired processes to the individual reactions and catalytic combinations involved.

The pharmaceutical sector stands to benefit from this in particular, as the production technologies used in this industry have often reached their limits. More and more manufacturers are offshoring locations to cut production costs or purchasing active ingredients from other countries. “In the chemical industry, we need a new set of methods for state-of-the-art production that is also sustainable and cost-effective,” Müller says. “This will solidify the technological leadership of German pharmaceutical manufacturers as they compete on the global stage and make Germany once again an attractive production location.” In this way, the Fraunhofer researchers’ new development will also help to safeguard Germany’s drug supply going forward.

The consortium received support for their fundamental research in the form of both internal funds provided by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft itself and funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (ILLUMINATE project, grant number 031B1121).

Weitere Informationen:

https://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2024/october-2024/technological…

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