Research

The FEM group designs new functional electronic materials that unite electronic performance with mechanical adaptability and – where compatible – chemical circularity. The team works as material makers: conceiving monomers, synthesizing well-defined polymers and hybrids, and connecting structure–processing–property to device-relevant function. The group’s work is embedded in two DFG Clusters of Excellence: BlueMat – Water-Driven Materials and REC² – Responsible Electronics in the Climate Change Era. Current efforts span the following three tightly linked areas.

Soft & Sustainable Polymer Electronics

The group develops polymer systems that remain electronically reliable under large strain while approaching the softness of biological tissue. Central is the molecular design and synthesis of stretchable polymer (semi)conductors and organic mixed ionic–electronic conductors (OMIECs), alongside low-loss dielectric composites for soft robotics, wearables, and biointerfaces.

Block-copolymer strategies combine an electronically active phase with elastomeric segments to decouple charge transport from mechanics, enabling thin films that tolerate high strain with stable mobility. In parallel, OMIEC formulations are tailored for OECT platforms and aqueous operation. Where specifications allow, cleavable or redispersible motifs are integrated to support repair, reuse, or end-of-life recovery without sacrificing reliability. Prototype stacks (e.g., OFETs/OECTs) are used as materials-first testbeds; advanced benchmarking is pursued with specialist device partners. This line of research contributes to the EIC Pathfinder project FITNESS – Flexible IntelligenT NEar-field Sensing Skins.

Functional Interfaces & Hybrid Materials

Interfaces govern performance and stability in printed and flexible electronics. The FEM group designs and synthesizes hybrid materials that program interfacial energetics and transport while remaining compatible with scalable processing. A key motif is N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) anchoring for robust, electronically active coupling between metals and conjugated frameworks.

Using direct-reduction and ligand-exchange routes, we create NHC–Au nanoparticle hybrids with conjugated shells and conjugated interlayers that enhance out-of-plane conductivity, electrochemical stability, and response speed. Formulations emphasize water-processable or low-VOC inks with controlled ligand identity, grafting density, and particle spacing to preserve colloidal stability and film integrity. These hybrids serve as contact-modification and charge/ion-management layers in opto/organic electronic stacks and as dielectric composites for metasurfaces; device evaluation and optimization are performed with dedicated collaborators.

Rational Design of Molecular Machines

At the molecular limit, the group explores how electronic stimuli translate into controlled motion and function. Through targeted small-molecule design and synthesis – including zwitterionic/charged motifs, tailored anchors, and field-responsive backbones – the FEM group establishes rules for surface binding modes, switching thresholds, and directional motion under electric fields or tunneling currents.

Single-molecule studies (STM/AFM, with expert partners) and feed back into our chemical design. The same anchoring chemistries used in hybrids underpin precise electrode–molecule coupling, enabling systematic links between molecular structure, interfacial transport, and emergent device behavior. Activities in this research area are part of the EIC Pathfinder project ESiM – Energy Storage in Molecules.