Hetero aggregations of particulate systems and their properties
Particles are rarely present individually and isolated, but mostly as powder or heap. Interactions occur between the various particles at their points of contact. If particles of different materials (for example A and B) are present, contacts between different (hetero: A-B) particles can occur. These hetero contacts (A-B) are of fundamental importance for the functional properties. In this process, new synergistic properties arise from the respective properties of A and B. These are essential for many applications. But how can such hetero contacts be created specifically by mixing A and B and how can these contacts be made visible or measurable?
The priority program Creation of synergies in tailor-made mixtures of heterogeneous powders aims at the development of application-oriented particle systems by the controlled, process-safe and controllable setting of particulate hetero-contacts. The talk will highlight the goals of this program and some key achievements of different transdisciplinary research directions.

Having studied applied physics, I was introduced to aerosols, particles, droplets and spays during my doctorate at Fraunhofer Institute ITEM and the Technische Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany). At this stage I discovered my enthusiasm for chemical and process engineering. As a dedicated researcher and teacher at ETH Zürich (Switzerland) and UCLA (California, USA) I became a specialist in reactive spray synthesis of nanoparticles and their interactions with various media and interfaces. At UCLA I initiated an NSF centre that remained an important collaboration partner after joining the University of Bremen in 2008. Leading a team of about 50 scientists and technicians I could widen and deepen my expertise with the focus on chemical and process engineering for novel functional materials at various levels while gas phase processes stayed my main focus.