Materials Science

Hubert Keiber, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Werner Siemens Foundation, describes why the Board decided to award a 15 million Swiss francs grant to a team of Empa researchers.

Using a new method, scientists are better able to distinguish between mirror-image substances. This is important amongst others in drug development, because the two variants can cause completely different effects in the human body. Researchers from Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, EPF Lausanne (EPFL), and the University of Geneva describe the new method in the scientific journal Nature Photonics.

The cement industry emits large amounts of climate-damaging carbon dioxide – but alternative binders based on magnesium carbonate could even bind CO₂. Concrete as a carbon sink? A research project at Empa is to explore the basics of this and prepare the stage for practical applications.

Colours can be created in surprisingly different ways. And in addition to being pleasing to the eye, colour can also serve a useful purpose.

For ancient artefacts and modern technologies alike, examination methods that leave the object completely intact are required. For this, researchers at PSI use elementary particles called muons and are developing a new experimental method that is useful for archaeology and can also answer questions relevant to battery development.