Research Area A


Energy Autonomy

Deliberate change between physical states consumes energy, and so do the adaptive processes conceived by livMatS. To be truly autonomous, materials systems should harvest the energy that they require for adaptation or self-healing from their immediate environment, and they should be able to convert and store it for later use. Research in livMatS focuses on three different sources for clean energy: solar, thermal, and mechanical energy.

The harvested energy will either directly power functionalities of the materials systems, or be converted into, stored, and used as electrical energy. In addition, interconversion and storage into mechanical and chemical energy is also envisaged. Internal control over energy uptake, storage, and distribution will be achieved by the installation of chemical, structural, and microsystem-based regulatory networks, so that energy is available in an appropriate form exactly when and where it is needed. All these functionalities should be an integral part of the materials systems. This unprecedented combination of functional principles and their seamless and non-interfering integration poses a great challenge for the conception and development of fabrication technologies.


Coordinators Research Area A
Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer, Prof. Dr. Peter Woias


Projects within Research Area A


Longterm Projects 2022 and 2023

Longterm Projects 2019 and 2020

Booster Projects 2023 - finished

Booster Projects 2021 - finished

Compact Projects 2021 - finished

  • Adaptive Peptide Libraries
    This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
    Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Charalampos Pappas
  • Functionalization of silicon-based surfaces with redox active compounds
    Responsible Investigator: Dr. Bizan Balzer
  • Fatigue in energy-harvesting mechanical metamaterials
    This project is a collaboration between research areas A and C.
    Junior Research Group leader: Dr. Viacheslav Slesarenko
  • Electrochemical investigation of nanostructured electrochemical
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer

Compact Projects 2020 - finished

  • Oxidic double perovskites A2MM’O6 and its 2D variants as possible materials for the rechargeable photo cell
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Harald Hillebrecht
  • Development of a novel electrolyte system for a photocharging battery system
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ingo Krossing
  • Hydrogenase-Electrode-Hybrids towards enzymatic proton production for ATP Synthases
    This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer
  • Porosity- and charge storage tailoring in mesoporous nitrogen doped carbon nanospheres
    This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer
  • Tuning the physicochemical properties of porous carbon materials as electrode materials for redox-flow batteries
    This project is a collaboration between research areas A and B.
    Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Anna Fischer