Copenhagen Team
The Nano-Science Centre has ~40 leading-edge researchers in a dynamic group with strong international networks. The centre's training program is interdisciplinary (physics, chemistry, biology and materials science) and produces ~30 BSc and ~30 MSc students per year. The PhD school has more than 100 students and there are ~35 Post-Doc and Research Associates, with many others coming on their own funding (www.nano.ku.dk). The NanoGeoScience team consists of 48 researchers (Post-Doc, PhD, MSc) from chemistry, physics, geology, engineering and biotechnology, half from Denmark, half international; half women, half men. The team uses nano-scale techniques to understand nature's fundamental secrets, then applies that knowledge to solve society's problems in Energy and the Environment.
Among the current projects are the Nano-Chalk Venture, funded by the Danish Technology Foundation and MOG, to gather fundamental understanding about interactions between mineral surfaces and reservoir fluids.
The KU leader has recently won the Pasteur Prize, the top Danish award for Innovation and Leadership.
Role:
Responsible for training and research related to characterisation of the functionality of organic inhibitors on crystal growth through surface analysis with nano-scale resolution, mechanistic studies, and molecular dynamics modelling; coordination of network wide research-specific and complementary training events.
Key Competences and Facilities:
The combination of instrumentation and expertise for surface and nanoparticle analysis is unique in the world. A custom-built ultra-high vacuum chamber is designed for surface spectroscopy on natural, geochemical samples and several atomic force microscopes are optimised for atomic-scale resolution, environmental conditions and force volume mapping. A new FEI Quanta 3D scanning electron microscope (SEM) with EDX, ESEM and FIB capabilities is in its final stages of testing. The two full floors of laboratories house a number of other surface- and classical wet-chemistry equipment.
Key Persons:
Team Leader
Professor Susan L.S. Stipp:Team leader, background in geochemistry, engineering and surface analysis; specialises in nano-characterisation and control of mineral/fluid interactions.
Dr. Tue Hassenkam
Physicist, surface characterisation (AFM)
Dr. Henning Osholm Sørensen
Physical chemist, specialising in synchrotron techniques
Prof. Klaus Bechgaard
Expertise in physics and chemistry of functional molecules.
Dr. Martin Andersson
Expert in molecular dynamics simulations.
Dr. Nicolas Bovet
Expert in surface spectroscopy
Dr. Knud Dideriksen
Surface geochemistry
Previous Training Programs and Research:
Partner FP6 RTN EST MIR, FP6 RTN MIN-GRO. IP-FunMig; NoE Actinet; FP7 host for EEF RECRYST and IEF RHIZO; large industry funded programme (~ 15 Mio Euro) on oil field processes. The Team Leader has trained 18 Postdoctoral Fellows and 18 PhD Students in the last 5 years.
