Oxidic Functional Materials (OFM)

Advanced materials form the basis of tomorrow’s energy and electronic technologies. Their properties emerge from a complex interplay of atomic structure, composition, and microstructural features. Because these are determined during synthesis, understanding the synthesis–structure relationships is crucial for designing materials with tailored functionalities.

Our group investigates how to control the synthesis of complex oxide materials and how their atomic, electronic, and structural characteristics evolve under different conditions. Using advanced in situ and operando characterization methods, often at large-scale facilities such as synchrotrons, we aim to reveal the mechanisms that govern material formation and transformation.

A particular focus of our research lies on high-entropy oxides (HEOs), a new class of compositionally complex materials that combine multiple elements within one crystalline structure. This unconventional concept opens exciting opportunities for designing materials with unique and tunable properties relevant to catalysis, energy storage, and other sustainable technologies.