Come to the Long Night of the Sciences in Wannsee: 17.06. from 5-0 p.m.
e will open our doors for the Long Night of the Sciences. Get exciting insights into our energy research, visit laboratories and ask us your questions about the energy transition. Our school lab invites you to take part in hands-on experiments - and a science show will keep you pumped up and amazed! Please bring your identity card!
Saturday promises beautiful summer weather and we will open our green, nature-oriented campus in Wannsee for you. Immerse yourself in the world of research for one night and bring lots of questions! At HZB, we work every day to develop materials and solutions for a climate-neutral society. See how ultra thin solar cells can be made and learn what we are doing to make green hydrogen cheaper to produce in large quantities in the future. We are also researching new batteries that can store more energy than conventional ones in Wannsee.
Twelve different laboratories alone are open to you. Experience our research up close: whether crystal structures, atomic layers, solar cells or our high-tech microscopes - there is something interesting for everyone. A guided tour for children "The fantastic properties of light and how to explain them" and a tour of the orchard meadow are also on the programme. In addition, there are exciting lectures, among others on the plastic flood or photovoltaics in building facades.
On the Science Street there are many information stands with experiments. Here you can talk directly to our researchers. Among other things, we will show you how the decommissioned research reactor BER II is to be dismantled in the coming years. In addition, we will present the therapy of eye tumours with protons - this is also carried out at the Wannsee site.
Feel free to take a break in between. Our canteen offers delicious food and drinks. We also cook for you with a solar cooker (when the sun is shining) and invite you to taste our nitrogen ice cream.
When and where?
17.06.2023 from 5-0 op.m.
Helmholtz Centre Berlin
Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1
14109 Berlin
To be reached by shuttle buses from S Wannsee
Access regulations:
For security reasons, the following regulations apply to visits to the HZB: Persons aged 16 and over must present their valid original identity card (alternatively passport). Admission for persons under 16 years of age is only permitted when accompanied by a person of full age.
Tickets:
Adults: €14, reduced €9, family €27 (other ticket types here). Combined ticket with use of public transport and special buses for the Long Night. Tickets for the Long Night can be purchased here. There is also a box office at our Wannsee location.
- Battery research with the HZB X-ray microscopeNew cathode materials are being developed to further increase the capacity of lithium batteries. Multilayer lithium-rich transition metal oxides (LRTMOs) offer particularly high energy density. However, their capacity decreases with each charging cycle due to structural and chemical changes. Using X-ray methods at BESSY II, teams from several Chinese research institutions have now investigated these changes for the first time with highest precision: at the unique X-ray microscope, they were able to observe morphological and structural developments on the nanometre scale and also clarify chemical changes.
- BESSY II: New procedure for better thermoplasticsBio-based thermoplastics are produced from renewable organic materials and can be recycled after use. Their resilience can be improved by blending bio-based thermoplastics with other thermoplastics. However, the interface between the materials in these blends sometimes requires enhancement to achieve optimal properties. A team from the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands has now investigated at BESSY II how a new process enables thermoplastic blends with a high interfacial strength to be made from two base materials: Images taken at the new nano station of the IRIS beamline showed that nanocrystalline layers form during the process, which increase material performance.
- Hydrogen: Breakthrough in alkaline membrane electrolysersA team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyser that approaches the performance of established PEM electrolysers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. At BESSY II, the team was able to elucidate the catalytic processes in detail using operando measurements, and a theory team (USA, Singapore) provided a consistent molecular description. In Freiburg, prototype cells were built using a new coating process and tested in operation. The results have been published in the prestigious journal Nature Catalysis.