To make it easier to find the speakers, they are listed by postcode of their place of residence. For lecture topics, click on the green triangle. Alternatively, you can download the complete list of speakers as a PDF.
TU Dresden
Bioanalytical Chemistry
01062 Dresden
Reiner Salzer
The world's first professorship for chemistry was established in Marburg in 1609. European students and professors were already astonishingly mobile. In the 19th century, chemistry became an important driving force in industry and science. In Germany, chemistry only became an independent branch of science in the 20th century. The lecture will discuss the development of the subject of chemistry in Europe up to the 20th century.
Target group: Teachers, students in advanced courses, chemistry specialists in training, JCF (JungesChemieForum) - Duration: 60 minThe survey of European chemists focussed on employment conditions and career opportunities. The results provide important information for many EU countries and for Europe as a whole. The requirements of the labour market for chemists differ significantly between countries. This is important for career planning, and not just for students and graduates.
Target group: Teachers, students in advanced courses, chemistry professionals in training, JCF (JungesChemieForum) - Duration: 60 minHorst Hartmann
Internet: http://www.chm.tu-dresden.de/farbstoffsammlung.shtml
| Dyes through the ages | The history of dyes from "ancient purple" to the "solar cell" is presented. Duration: 45-60 minutes. Target group: Teachers, upper secondary school students and the school community, JCF (JungesChemieForum), members of technical, scientific and artistic further education institutions |
| The Dresden Dye Collection - Contemporary witness to the development of the chemical industry over the last 150 years | Presentation of over 10,000 dye samples from 80 different manufacturers from 1850 to the present day. Duration: Lecture and visit to the collection approx. 90 minutes. Target group: Teachers, pupils from 6th grade and secondary school. |
| Dyeing with natural dyes | Experimental lecture with practical exercises (only possible during the semester break). Duration: half-day. Target group: Teachers, pupils from 6th grade and upper secondary school, science and art enthusiasts |
The lecture explains the important terms for measurement in chemistry:
- Metrology The science of measurement
- Fascination with scales Accuracy, precision and the prototype kilogram
- World Metrology Day 10 May 2019. Reorganisation of the system of units of measurement
- Metrological principles. Reliable standards, the prototype kilogram and recognised reference materials
- Measurement uncertainty. Measurement uncertainties and the accuracy of measurements
Target group: Teachers and students of advanced science courses as well as the school community - Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
The lecture covers the following important terms in chemistry:
1. similarity, sameness, identity
2. element
3. analyte The selectivity of the method determines the identity of the analyte.
4. standards. Measurement, calibration and reference materials
5. Symmetry. Description of molecular symmetry and stereoisomerism
6. Isomerism. Certain properties define the group membership. Hierarchy of the terms isomers, stereomers and chiramers.
7. topie. Classification of topies according to K. Mislow and M. Raban.
Target group: Teachers and students of advanced science courses as well as the school community - Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
MOL Katalysatortechnik GmbH
Leunastraße 06
Jürgen Koppe
From the emergence of technical chemistry and the concept of the catalyst around 1600 (Libavius) to modern chemistry around 1900 (Ostwald).
History of chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis, 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, irreversible processes, kinetics, activation energy, technical applications.
Target group: Teachers and students of advanced science courses - Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
Paracelsus' life and significance for today's chemistry
Development and application of chemical models from the Middle Ages to today - from genius to engineer
Importance of personal appearance for the acceptance of scientific views, development of chemical models as an interaction of theory and practice, 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics, acid-base theory, technical applications
Paracelsus' life and significance for today's chemistry.
Target group: Teachers and students of advanced science courses - Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
Hydrogen bonding, dipole molecules, dissociation, acid-base theory, mesomerism, activation energy, 1st and 2nd law of thermodynamics, entropy and enthalpy, free enthalpy of reaction, irreversible processes, chemical equilibrium, kinetics and catalysis, technical applications.
Target group: Teachers and students of advanced science courses - Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
The following topics are covered in the three-hour workshop:
Experiments and knowledge transfer
Knowledge quiz to test the knowledge imparted (with small prizes)
Target group: Pupils in years 10 to 12
Historical outline of the development of modern non-ionic X-ray contrast media based on organic iodine compounds - physicochemical requirements for intravenously administered agents (absorption of X-rays, water solubility, viscosity, compatibility) - chemical aspects of synthesis in the laboratory and during upscaling (annual tonne production) - areas of application (angiography, imaging of soft tissue, etc.) - barium sulphate as an oral contrast medium - alternatives to iodine as a signalling element? - RKM in the environment
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Teachers and students in upper secondary school
Principle of MRI - paramagnetic gadolinium ion as a signalling agent - intravenously administered metal chelates as compatible pharmaceuticals - open-chain and macrocyclic Gd complexes - thermodynamic / kinetic stability - organ-specific contrast agents (EM) - insights into the world of interdisciplinary pharmaceutical research in the search for new in vivo diagnostics - discussion about the safety of EM.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target group: Teachers and students in upper secondary school
Overview lecture to introduce the various techniques of modern clinical imaging (CT, MR, PET) with a focus on the contributions of (industrial) chemists to the interdisciplinary drug discovery of intravenously administered clinical contrast agents and PET tracers
Institute of Chemistry
Humboldt-Universität Berlin
Brook-Taylor-Straße 2
D-12489 Berlin
Stefan Hecht
Internet: www.hechtlab.de
| Chemistry in computers | Target audience: Students, teachers and the school community |
Free University of Berlin
Institute of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Takustrasse 3
D-14195 Berlin
Klaus Roth
www.klausroth.de
Sugar substitute. Instead of a chemical success story of sweeteners, a drama begins whose plot is determined by economic interest groups, tax legislation, the market, wild gangs of smugglers and the zeitgeist. But there is also a strong dash of gripping chemistry. Let's take a closer look at the 10 sweeteners authorised in the EU today and enjoy being spoilt for choice.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
In the 1700s, Berlin was a hotbed of activity. Bright minds were recruited from all over Europe and flocked to the city. They were welcome, no questions were asked about religion, they were allowed to try their luck. Although alchemy had already passed its zenith, it reached its peak of popularity. A colourful scene of founders developed in the city, in which a discovery of the century was made in 1706 with the Berlin Blue. From the very beginning, many legends and stories have grown up around it. Let's reopen the case and, thanks to new research into the history of chemistry, close it once and for all.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
When a violin virtuoso enchants us with the sound of his Stradivarius, we think we are far, far away from chemistry. This is deceptive, because chemistry played and still plays an important role in Stradivari's workshop as well as in the strings, bow and care of the instrument. So let's listen to the sound of a Stradivarius with a chemical ear.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Absinthe is in! After many decades of a total ban, this drink has been allowed to be sold again in Germany for a few years now. It was the favourite drink of Parisian bohemians at the end of the 19th century. After a few glasses of absinthe, many gifted painters, musicians and poets hoped for an embrace and a kiss from the green fairy, unleashing unexpected bursts of creativity. What is behind this and can we still hope for the Green Fairy today? Let's get to the (chemical) bottom of it. À votre santé!
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
On the Isenheim Altarpiece, Mathias Grünewald's imaginative depiction of the "Temptation of St Anthony" disturbs us with a host of terrifying demons that harass and maltreat the desperate saint from all sides. We are particularly touched by a cripple covered in boils and suffering unspeakable pain, the result of the popular epidemic of "St Anthony's Fire". It took centuries for this epidemic-like disease to be recognised as a poisoning caused by the ergot fungus growing on rye. Let's take a look at the disastrous influence that ergot toxins have had on the history of mankind.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Chocolate is a feast for all the senses: the silky dark brown colour, the delicious crunch when you break off a small piece, the aroma that brings back memories of childhood and finally the delicate melting on the tongue. The secret of good chocolate lies in the ingredients of the cocoa bean, which are chemically refined during fermentation and roasting. Heavenly delights can only be achieved with a hefty dose of chemistry.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutesThe condition of the sick people is worrying: nausea, vomiting, trembling limbs, sweating, corpse pallor, buzzing head and poor circulation. Instead of sympathy, only schadenfreude flashes from the eyes of your loved ones: "Was that 12th beer bad?", "Serves you right, you couldn't get your throat full enough". How can a molecule as small as ethanol cause so much human suffering? Let's find out the chemical consequences of an evening of drinking and merriment.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutesChemical industry products improve people's quality of life all over the world. Consumers expect the starting products, manufacturing processes and end products to meet the highest standards. But people from some religious communities expect even more: compliance with religious regulations throughout the entire manufacturing process. Let's use the example of Islamic and Jewish laws to study this unusual border area between chemistry and religion.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Water is extraordinary and astounds with so many curiosities that it is no wonder that scientists have been cutting their teeth on this small molecule for so long. In addition to the remarkable successes in researching the properties of H2O in all states of matter, water opens up a huge playground for scientific non-conformists, naive amateur researchers and shrewd businessmen. Let us illuminate the colourful and sometimes shrill world of water on this side and beyond the boundaries of exact science with benevolence, critical distance and a large portion of gallows humour.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
"There is no nation, from the polar regions in the north to New Zealand in the south, in which the inhabitants do not tattoo themselves," Charles Darwin stated in his "Origin of Species". The current renaissance of tattoos is therefore merely picking up on a tradition that has been cultivated in many cultures over many centuries. As early as 2009, one in four Germans aged between 25 and 34 had tattoos and over 100 million people in Europe had tattoos. But what happens to our skin during and after the application of colour pigments in the deeper layers of the skin? Let's follow a tattoo from the beginning from a chemical perspective.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Every year on 1 Advent, many domestic kitchens are transformed into small bakeries where biscuits and other baked goods are made together. The smell of freshly baked Christmas biscuits, cinnamon stars, stollen and gingerbread wafts through the parlours. No other festival is as closely associated with smells as Christmas and this sensory impression remains with us for a lifetime in blissful and longing memories. Let's pick up the scent trail and try to fathom its chemical basis. The effort will be rewarded, because the new knowledge will make the Christmas treats taste even better.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
We humans are by no means biochemically perfect. On the contrary, we have to obtain many essential substances from food because our body cannot produce them itself. If we lack these substances, we become ill. A lack of vitamin C hits us particularly hard, because then we fall ill with scurvy. It is not even 100 years since the molecular cause of this terrible disease was discovered and mankind was freed from it forever. A look back at the many trials and tribulations of the centuries-long fight against scurvy and in gratitude for the courageous captains, Nobel Prize-winning chemists and physiologists and, of course, especially for the guinea pigs.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Espresso is harmless to health, stimulates the mind, doesn't make you fat and even has the papal blessing. Can you really ask for more? A cup of espresso is easy to make: 50 roasted and ground coffee beans are pressure-extracted in an espresso machine. Not so simple! There's a lot of chemistry behind it! So let's take a look at espresso from a chemical perspective and sip the tantalising crema with double the pleasure in future.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
People all over the world use plant species of the Capsicum genus to spice up dishes both visually and in terms of flavour. Hungarian, Mexican, Korean and Indian cuisine would be unthinkable without their characteristic spiciness. How does capsicum manage to synthesise chemical compounds that irritate our tongue just enough to make us feel a pleasant pungency? Let's uncover the scientific background to the slowly diminishing tongue burn and enjoy savoury dishes even more consciously in future.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Gisela.Boeck
Internet: www.boeck.chemie.uni-rostock.de
Right and left play a role in many areas, whether in politics, art, botany or even chemistry. The spatial structure of molecules can determine whether two molecules that look identical at first glance produce a sweet or sour flavour or different biochemical effects, for example.
Target group: Science enthusiasts, pupils from year 11, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Dmitri I. Mendeleev is known to many as the discoverer of the periodic table. In addition to his contributions to the establishment of this system, the lecture will also present his work on solution theory, petroleum, metrology and education.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from year 9, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
The name Paul Walden is best known in connection with the Walden inversion, which plays a role in nucleophilic 2nd order substitution reactions at stereogenic centres. The lecture will report on Walden's biography and discuss his scientific achievements, which are by no means limited to organic chemistry.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from year 11, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutesWomen were only allowed to enrol at universities in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. The lives of some of them who decided to study chemistry are presented.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from Year 11, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutesLothar Meyer made significant contributions to the periodic table. His ideas, which led him to the first periodic arrangement of elements as early as 1864, are retraced and his further thoughts on periodicity are discussed.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from year 11, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
National Socialist policies between 1933 and 1945 had a significant impact on the development of chemistry in Germany. Jewish chemists were dismissed and only some of them managed to flee abroad. In addition to the presentation of some of their fates, the impact on chemical research is discussed.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from year 11, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutesRunge, a 19th century chemist, worked intensively with coal tar and isolated numerous compounds from it. He is often regarded as the father of chromatography, as he observed that rings of different colours form when different salt solutions are dripped onto absorbent paper. Simple experiments can also be demonstrated for younger pupils.
Target group: Those interested in history, JCF (JungesChemieForum), pupils from year 11, teachers and the school community; can also be organised for primary school pupils by arrangement - Duration: 45-60 minutes| Functional plastics - secret helpers in everyday life | Target group: Students, teachers and the school community |
Target group: School community - Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Pupils, teachers, school community - Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Pupils, teachers, school community - Duration: 45 minutes
Videocassette (recording of the MDR)
Target group: pupils, teachers, school community - duration: 30 minutes
Facts and opinions on meat consumption
Target group: Pupils and teachers in upper secondary school
Chemical structure, biosynthesis and physiological effect of this vitamin, requirements and prophylactic aspects in humans in the light of recent findings
Target group: Secondary school pupils, students and chemistry/biology teachers - Duration: Approx. 30 - 40 minutes
Approx. 3-hour theoretical introduction to the structure, occurrence, requirements and fulfilment of critical vitamins
Target group: Secondary school teachers of chemistry, biology and home economics - Duration: approx. 3 hours
Target group: High school teachers of chemistry, biology and home economics - duration: 1.5 h each
The chemical structure and physiological functions of important vitamins are explained. The focus is on the functions and possibilities of sufficient intake using examples of the critical vitamins A, D, folic acid and B12
.Target group: Secondary school pupils, students and teachers - Duration: 60 min
Both trace elements play a key role in metabolism. However, their sufficient intake must be considered critical in this country. The health consequences of inadequate intake and options for meeting requirements are discussed.
Target group: Secondary school pupils, students and teachers - Duration: 60 minBergische Universität Wuppertal
Gaußstraße 20
42119 Wuppertal
Michael Tausch
Chemistry also has a key role to play in making photoprocesses accessible for other STEM subjects, as one of its characteristic features is the explanation of macroscopic phenomena using models at the (sub)microscopic particle level. In this sense, electronically excited states of molecules and other particle assemblies are common to all photoprocesses with and without chemical reactions. The fact that excited states can be used to teach chemistry, physics, biology, computer science and geography in a stimulating, efficient, sustainable and future-orientated way will be discussed in the lecture and demonstrated using a number of experiments*. Experiments and other digital teaching/learning materials are available online on the internet platform Chemistry with Light.
Target group: Students, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
In the lecture, the path to artificial photosynthesis is followed using model experiments*, in which essential elementary processes and energy conversions in the natural material cycle of photosynthesis-cell respiration are first simulated. Subsequently, the direct, light-driven production of hydrogen without the diversions via photovoltaics and electrolysis is demonstrated experimentally*. This introduces one of the future scenarios for sustainable "green chemistry" based on climate-neutral, photocatalytically produced solar hydrogen. See also films on the Internet platform "Chemistry with light" of the University of Wuppertal.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
The lecture and workshop use didactically concise experiments to explain how photons and molecules combine, separate and transform. Coherent with the experimental observations, model-theoretical explanations are developed at the particle level, with which the observed phenomena can be explained and further phenomena predicted and tested. Information is given on how to integrate the experiments and models into lessons at secondary levels I and II and materials (worksheets, educational films, videos, model animations) are provided. The chemicals, equipment, printed and electronic materials for this workshop are summarised in the "Photo-Mol" case, which can be purchased as part of the "School Partnership Chemistry" sponsored by the Chemical Industry Fund. Independently of this, the "intelligent" film and luminescence samples produced in the workshop can be taken away. See also films on the website of the University of Wuppertal on fluorescence and photochromism.
Target group: Students, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
The lecture and workshop focus on model experiments on the "Plant Light Laboratory". The focus is on the interaction of chlorophylls and carotenoids in photosynthesis as well as the material and energetic principles of the natural cycle of photosynthesis and respiration. The didactic utilisation and curricular integration of the experiments in lower and upper secondary schools will be supported by teaching concepts, worksheets, model animations and educational films. Further information on the workshop programme, the experiments and materials as well as a cooperation offer for schools can be found on the slides "Light Lab Plant" on the Internet. See also films on the website of the University of Wuppertal on photoredox reactions.
Target group: Students, teachers and school community - duration: 45-60 min
Carotenoids are interesting substances from everyday life, especially their most important representative, β-carotene. Thanks to its interesting properties, β-carotene is a chemical, biological and didactic all-rounder that can be used to add a splash of colour to chemistry and biology lessons from the very beginning right through to A-levels and can be used in the development or application of technical terms, concepts and models in chemistry and biology. The lecture will present experiments and suitable integration options for a modern curriculum. Videos and films of the experiments are available online on the University of Wuppertal's website at Photosynthesis - a case for two, part 2.
Target group: Students, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
Photoactive nanomachines in biological functional units initiate the visual process in our eyes and photosynthesis in green leaves. But why are they "photo and nano"? Because their drive, the light, cannot penetrate deep into the materials, but is already absorbed on the surface and nanostructured materials are ideally suited for this.
Evolution has produced ingenious biomaterials of this kind. As a rule, light-absorbing species are combined with protein macromolecules. Inspired by nature, materials scientists are researching analogue materials for technical applications. Here, too, light-absorbing molecules are combined with networks of organic polymers or inorganic ion lattices to form so-called nanocomposites. This innovative type of material is crucial for photovoltaics and photocatalysis, for example.
In the lecture, the underlying concepts of these two research areas will be explored under the motto photo & nano. Experimental approaches will be demonstrated and conceptually linked to curriculum-compliant content in order to apply, deepen and expand them. Slides from the presentation and other materials are available online at Chemistry with light.Target group: Pupils, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
With the quote from his "Theory of Colours" quoted in the subtitle, Goethe was absolutely right. However, his view on the composition of white light was wrong. In the lecture, the question "What is light?" is embedded in a cultural and scientific-historical excursion from Egyptian antiquity to Einstein's photoelectric effect and the light quanta. Both the historical milestones and our everyday experiences today with the "normal" colours of fabrics in white light and the luminescent or luminous colours, e.g. in textiles in disco light or screens of electronic devices, confirm that "colours are acts of light".
Luminescence in its various forms, e.g. fluorescence, phosphorescence, electroluminescence, chemiluminescence and bioluminescence are emphasised in the lecture and illustrated with suitable experiments. Their conceptual explanation represents the paradigm shift claimed in the title, because unlike "normal" colours, fluorescent colours are not created by light absorption, but by light emission. This is a paradigm shift that needs to be implemented in many textbooks and curricula still in use today. Digital materials on the title topic are available online at Chemistry with light.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and school community - Duration: 45-60 min
42369 Wuppertal
Stefan Gürtzgen
The use of fossil fuels and the associated increase in greenhouse gas emissions is increasingly impacting our climate and threatening life on our planet. Moving away from fossil fuels in favour of renewable energies is therefore an essential prerequisite for securing our ecological and economic future. The lecture will briefly present the most important renewable energy sources and the technical principles and possibilities for energy storage.
Target group: Suitable for public discourse as a non-political, neutral overview lecture and school lecture for senior classes - duration: 45-60 minWhen he started his career in 1977, the author first came into contact with the products of human activity in the form of the small molecule CF4. After elaborate processing of huge quantities of air in cryogenic rectification apparatuses to produce krypton and xenon, a trace impurity was found in the krypton, which jeopardised its industrial use as a lamp gas. Starting from this incident at the beginning of his career, he was repeatedly confronted with the legacy of industrial activities in the atmosphere, culminating in the ozone hole discovered in the 1980s and the harmful effects of ground-level ozone. Step by step, these experimental findings are used to illustrate research into the atmosphere and the modern threats to life on earth from the burning of fossil fuels for energy.
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 50 minutes
General properties of crystals and their growth, presentation of various (collected) crystals
Target group: Students, pupils, teachers and the school community, on request also young people from 7 years of age - Duration: 45 minutes (on request also 60-90 minutes)
General properties of crystals and their cultivation, presentation of various (collected) crystals
Target group: Students, pupils, teachers and the school community, on request also young people from 7 years of age - Duration: 45 minutes (on request also 60-90 minutes)
General properties of crystals and their growth, presentation of various (collected) crystals. With demonstrations and/or experiments
Target group: Students, pupils, teachers and the school community, on request also young people from 7 years - Duration: 45 minutes (on request also 60-90 minutes)
Basics and applications
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45 minutes
(with experiments)
Only near Steinfurt, as experimental equipment must be transported
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45 minutes
(possibly with demonstrations)
Fundamentals and applications
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45 minutes
Water, the "elixir of life", is indispensable on Earth: 70% of the Earth's surface is covered with water, organisms such as jellyfish consist of up to 99% water and even humans carry around 68% of their weight in this liquid. The moist "element" has many interesting properties. Dr Gerhard Heywang, who used to work at Bayer AG in Leverkusen, uses experiments, most of which can be easily carried out at home, and video sequences to demonstrate various phenomena. Among other things, answers are given to the following questions: Is it possible to glue plates with a drop of water that is not drop-shaped at all (!)? Why does a thermometer in ground ice show a temperature of about +2°C? Why do the windows or mirrors fog up when showering?
Duration: 90 minutes
Target group: Secondary school classes and school community
"Water" lecture prepared for kindergarten children or primary school pupils. Which objects float in water, which sink. Experiments on surface tension, an imploding drinks can, the superabsorber from the baby nappy and the production of fizzy drinks are demonstrated.
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Pre-school children and primary school pupils
How do our vocal chords work? Why do standing waves occur in a pipe that is open on both sides when you hit it with the flat of your hand? Why do sounds come out of a flute when you blow into it and not out of a garden hose? Can you still make music with a garden hose? Does a piano really only produce 88 notes? These and other questions about music and acoustics are explained in an entertaining way using numerous simple experiments
Duration: 70 minutes
Target group: Secondary school classes and school community
Sparkling wine embodies concepts such as luxury, festivity and enjoyment. Sparkling wine is a sparkling noble drop that simply belongs at festive occasions and special moments in life. This tradition came to Germany towards the end of the 18th century and with it the secret of the highly sensitive fermentation process. But how did sparkling wine actually come to be invented and what ingredients ultimately make it a delicious drink? Who would think that the pressure in a bottle of sparkling wine is higher than that in a car tyre? Experiments are presented on the ingredients water, carbon dioxide and ethanol.
Phenomena that can be observed in sparkling wine are also important in technology and nature. For example, the Lake Nyos disaster (1800 dead and 30,000 animals killed) and cold geysers are also covered. The role of the silver spoon in allegedly ensuring the quality of the sparkling wine in an opened bottle in the fridge is also explained
Duration: 70 minutes
Target group: Secondary school classes and school community
Everyone has eaten an egg at some point - and probably indulged in the pleasure without thinking about the interesting questions and answers worth knowing about eggs.
The experimental lecture deals with aspects relating to the egg and answers questions such as: Why do you need a lot of water in the egg cooker for a few eggs and little water for many eggs? Why are eggs quenched? How does the egg come out of the hen? Which hens lay white eggs and which lay brown eggs? What is the colouring of brown eggs made of? How can you tell whether an egg is cooked or raw? How long does it take a chicken to produce 8g of protein for the egg? How long does it take to form the shell? Are chickens stupid or clever? And much more.
Duration: Depending on the level of interest: 40, 60 or 80 minutes
Target group: Pupils of all ages and school community
Lit candles create a festive atmosphere. The lecture deals with the questions "Why do candles burn at all?" "What happens when they burn?" "How are candles made?" and shows playful experiments with candles, from an economy Christmas wreath to a one-dimensional Christmas tree and a candle swing.
Duration: Depending on the level of interest: 40, 60 or 70 minutes
Target group: Pupils of all ages and the school community
In this experimental lecture, the world no longer seems to be in order: Blowing up a balloon in a bottle, is that possible? What does a bottle devil do and why? Corks fall onto a tabletop and remain upright. Metal discs don't want to fall into a shot glass. An unprepared table tennis ball refuses to float on water. You have to have seen that a reversing lens behaves differently with red and blue letters, otherwise you won't believe it. All experiments follow scientific laws that are explained in an understandable way and are surprising and entertaining. They all have to do with air or components of air. Many of the experiments can also be carried out at home with simple means.
Duration: 45 - 60 minutes
Target group: Kindergarten children from 5 years, pupils of all ages and school children
The tongue is a very versatile organ. It helps with speaking, swallowing, chewing and many other activities in the mouth. The tongue consists of 9 different muscles, each of which can only contract, but you can still stick out your tongue. How does that work? And how does it work when a chameleon can catapult its tongue out to the length of its own body? The lecture uses test subjects to investigate how flavours develop and which flavours can be perceived with the tongue. Does salt actually always taste salty and is hot chilli healthy? Who can roll their tongue? And what happens when you roll the R? All in all, it's about the chemistry and physics in the mouth.
Duration: 60 min
Target group: Pupils aged 10 and over from all types of schools and school communities
A raindrop is round - no: almost round! It looks like a bread roll from the side. There are also round drops if they are small enough. There are also drops that form a hemisphere, e.g. on the window pane. The shape referred to in German as "Tropfenform" exists in art and advertising, but only very rarely in practice. Examples are demonstrated. Drops of water with highly peculiar shapes play a very important role in sandcastle building, which is why sandcastles remain standing for a considerable time after they have been built: Water with maize starch forms a "slurry" that makes particularly idiosyncratic drops possible. There are also coffee drops, wine drops, honey drops and very special "nervous" drops, which a theologian understood and described for the first time.
Duration: 60 min
Target group: Pupils aged 10 and over from all school types and school communities
During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide reacts with water in plants under sunlight. This produces oxygen and carbohydrates. A small proportion of the carbohydrates are low-molecular sugars. A much larger proportion is starch, and the majority are cellulose chains, the structural substance of all plants. Sugar is found in varying proportions in flowers (nectar), branches and plant stems and in roots. Aphids also secrete sugary solutions, and mammals produce galactose (milk sugar) in their mother's milk to feed their offspring. The experiments involve honey and household sugar.
Duration: 60 - 70 minRWTH Aachen
Institute for Materials in Electrical Engineering II
D-52056 Aachen
Rainer Waser
| Perspectives of chemistry on the way to nano-electronics | Target group: Students, teachers and the school community |
| Sugar-sweet chemistry - experiments from glucose to starch | Experimental lecture Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community |
| Highlights from everyday chemistry - experiments with supermarket products | Experimental lecture Target group: Students, teachers and the school community |
| Healthy ingredients in fruit and vegetables - made visible in experiments | Experimental lecture Target group: Students, teachers and the school community |
Cosmetic products and foods often gain their originality and individual profile from their special fragrance and aroma notes, which are constantly being composed anew like works of art by highly paid perfumers and flavourists. The basic principles involved, the historical references, the underlying chemistry and mechanisms, the diversity of substances and the overlaps between the two major product groups are illustrated in an overview with examples for every level of knowledge.
Target group: Pupils, especially from STEM subjects, science teachers, school community, interested scientists, especially chemists
Duration: 45 minutes
The presentation will show how residue-free products can still be obtained after drug treatment in aquacultures, which are particularly at risk of infection due to their high fish density. Experimental test results now give nickel-sensitive allergy sufferers peace of mind compared to conventional stainless steel cooking pots, whose alloy contains 8% nickel, among other things.
The presentation will show how fractionated milk fats can be incorporated into ice cream glazes without impairing their melting and crystallisation behaviour - and how these defined milk fat fractions can be produced cost-effectively using supercritical carbon dioxide. The advantages and analytical reliability of near-infrared spectrometry, e.g. in the ongoing production control of foodstuffs, and how it can also replace costly wet-chemical analyses, will also be made clear. Finally, the focus is on the health-relevant glucosinolates and their biomarkers in broccoli and other cruciferous plants.Target group: Pupils, in particular those on STEM subjects, science teachers, the school community, interested scientists, especially chemists
Duration: 45 minutes
| Fracking - cheap energy with nasty consequences? | Target group: science teachers, especially at STEM schools, students, especially of advanced science courses, chemistry teacher training centres, GDCh local associations, young chemists' forums Duration: 45-60 minutes |
| Chemistry of the Cell - Live or Die | Target group: Students, teachers and the school community Duration: approx. 60 minutes |
| Chemistry of the cell - cross-border molecular transport | Target group: Students, teachers and the school community Duration: approx. 60 minutes |
Biotechnological methods and process steps (enzymes, microorganisms, cell cultures) are increasingly being used to produce enantiomerically pure active ingredients. These processes are an important part of "green chemistry", and even some basic organic chemicals can be produced economically using biotechnology.
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Teachers, upper secondary school students; chemists, biologists, pharmacists
The development of new drugs and galenic formulations is becoming increasingly time-consuming, expensive and risky, making it an uncertain financial adventure. How is the pharmaceutical industry adapting to this?
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: (Young) chemists, pharmacists, physicians, biologists, teachers, high school students
The pharmaceutical industry is currently under intense pressure due to the expiry of patents on many blockbuster drugs and the resulting generic competition, declining productivity in research and development, cost-cutting measures in many countries, increasing authorisation requirements and a poor public image. What will and must change?
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Scientists, medical professionals, students, teachers and pupils at upper secondary school level
The need for new and better medicines will (have to) continue to increase due to demographic developments. The major challenges at present are dementia/Alzheimer's disease, resistant bacterial pathogens, certain cancers, rare diseases ("orphan diseases") and chronic diseases that have so far only responded to medication in some patients and can only be treated symptomatically. There is no other field of work that is as multi- and interdisciplinary as modern drug research and development.
Duration: 45 minutes
Target group: Natural scientists, medical professionals, students, teachers and pupils at upper secondary school level
Dr Roland Full
Hanns-Seidel-Gymnasium Hösbach
Mozartstraße 35
D-63768 Hösbach
Roland Full
Dr Werner Ruf
Celtis-Gymnasium Schweinfurt
Sonnenstraße 52 b
D-97456 Dittelbrunn
Werner Ruf
In their unique experimental show, chemists Dr Roland Full and Dr Werner Ruf show chemistry at its best, which also fascinates non-chemists. With self-painting chemical pictures, which are prepared in petri dishes and displayed on a large screen, they allegorically describe the seasonal change. The 17 live experiments are accompanied only by music, which enhances the mood of the images and takes the viewer on a flight of fantasy.
Target group: School community - Duration: 60 minutes
| Science and art: companions and sisters in spirit | Target group: School community, especially for students of advanced science courses and students of the advanced art course Duration: 45 - 60 minutes |
Planning, construction and operation of laboratory facilities for scaling up chemical reactions using the example of the production of sulphuric acid, iron and food
Target group: Chemistry teachers at general and vocational schools
Characteristics of scientific professions in the chemical industry
Target group: Teachers at general education schools, especially Year 9 and 12
Biological, chemical and physical experiments for pre-school children
Target group: Nursery school teachers
Didactic and methodical integration of the presentation of large-scale chemical processes in the classroom
Target group: Chemistry teachers at general and vocational schools
The largest deposits of lithium are found in the Andes of Latin America. Lithium, a rare metal, has become increasingly important in recent decades due to mobile electrical devices such as smartphones, laptops and, above all, electric cars. Lithium is found on earth in so-called salars as brine and in ore deposits in the form of pegmatite. The brines are processed by water evaporation and precipitation due to the different solubilities of the salts found in the lakes. The lithium carbonate obtained in technical quality can be filled into bags, shipped and easily processed. The most important application of lithium is the lithium-ion battery. Lithium itself is produced from lithium chloride using fused-salt electrolysis. Will lithium deposits be sufficient in the future? That is why it is important to develop technologies to recycle raw materials. There are now interesting developments, one from Evonik will be presented in conclusion.
Target group: Pupils at the end of lower secondary level (9th (G8) or 10th grade (G9)) and upper secondary level, E phase. - Duration: 60 min
Diabetes is a widespread disease. Around 10% of the world's population suffer from this disease. The causes, long-term consequences and treatment options for the disease are presented. Using the example of the production of human insulin and insulin analogues, the contribution that biotechnology, in particular genetic engineering, can make to the treatment of diabetes will be demonstrated. The basics of protein biosynthesis are explained in a generally understandable way.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe isolation of antibiotics, plant constituents and vitamins is used as an example to show what contribution nature makes to the discovery of new drugs and how these active ingredients can be specifically modified by semi-synthesis. The difference between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is explained and the advantages of using a cell to produce active substances are discussed. Natural substances such as morphine, cocaine, atropine, artemisinin, penicillins, insulins and their significance for the treatment of diseases are presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
Many active pharmaceutical ingredients (antibiotics, monoclonal antibodies, substances of the blood coagulation cascade, etc.) are nowadays obtained by fermentation. The methods and processes used in downstream processing to isolate and purify active pharmaceutical ingredients from fermentation broths are shown. The basic principles of extraction, chromatography, cell disruption and solid-liquid separation as well as freeze-drying and spray-drying are presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as chemistry teacher training centres, young chemist forums - Duration: 75 to 90 min
Chromatography plays an important role in the isolation and purification of active pharmaceutical ingredients using biotechnology or genetic engineering, both in basic and advanced purification. The basics of chromatographic processes are presented. The scale-up and scale-down of such processes is discussed.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as chemistry teacher training centres, young chemist forums - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe basics and applications of white, red and green biotechnology for the industrial production of substances are presented. In particular, selected enzymatic-chemical reactions for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients are presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as chemistry teacher training centres, young chemist forums - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe use of homeopathy, anthroposophic medicine, Bach flower therapy and Schuessler salts to treat illnesses is presented. Placebo and no-placebo effects are explained. Mistletoe therapy for cancer is discussed in more detail. Animal-assisted forms of therapy are also reported on. Pavlov's experiments on conditioning are discussed in detail.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe influence of small chemical molecules [carbon dioxide, uranium dioxide, nitrogen monoxide, nitrous oxide, oxygen, ozone, water, ethanol, methanal (formaldehyde)] on everyday human life is the subject of this lecture.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
Sugar, protein, nucleic acid and fat molecules and their physiological and therapeutic significance are presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and the upper secondary school level as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
Molecules such as morphine, cocaine, caffeine, ethanol and others are presented and how they have influenced the music scene in particular. Natural and synthetic drugs and viable ways of combating drugs are also discussed. Addiction and combating addiction are discussed.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and the upper secondary school level as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
The lecture shows how information can be passed on using a chemical formula and its spatial structure. It also discusses how the genetic code is created and what role the amino acid sequence plays in the properties of proteins and enzymes.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
The term "serendipity" is explained and examples are given of how chance, rather than a targeted search, played a key role in many discoveries (sticky notes, dynamite, Velcro, the effects of pharmaceuticals, vulcanisation, credit cards, and many more).
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
The history and development of the periodic table of the elements (PSE) is covered; newer elements and their discovery are presented. Selected examples are used to illustrate how the position of an element in the periodic table allows conclusions to be drawn about its physical and, above all, its chemical properties. The key role of the electron configuration of an element (structure of the atomic shell) on its properties is discussed. The oblique relationships in the PSE are discussed. The typical properties of metals, semi-metals and non-metals are presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe biographies of selected female scientists (Curie, Meitner, Immerwahr, Kwolek, etc.) are presented and the important contribution many female scientists have made to their field is discussed, but this has not always been properly recognised and appreciated by the scientific community. Women who have been awarded the Nobel Prize are also honoured in this presentation. In addition, female scientists who have made a career in art and politics outside their field of specialisation (Adorno, Hamm-Brücher, Merkel, Schwätzer, Thatcher, etc.) are also presented.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and the upper secondary school level as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 min
Presented are the biographies of scientists in physics, chemistry, biosciences and medicine who were creative and made groundbreaking inventions, but whose achievements were not always appropriately recognised. Such "unlucky people" also include highly respected researchers who, for example, were overlooked when the Nobel Prize was awarded. Such people were often unrecognised or even ostracised in their time and it was only much later that their ideas were realised for the benefit of society. The differences between inventing, developing, creating and discovering are discussed in more detail.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemist forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 minThe causes of pain conditions and their treatment options are explained. Phenomena such as "paradoxical pain" (analgesic pain) and "phantom pain" are discussed. Dependence on painkillers is discussed. General aspects of addiction are presented. The physiological processes of pain conduction are discussed.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 75 to 90 minHow the discovery of nitroglycerine by Ascania Sobrero came about by chance and how the path to the development of dynamite by Alfred Nobel proceeded. The importance of dynamite in the last century in the construction of roads, tunnels and railway lines is explained using examples (Gotthard tunnel). It also describes how the Nobel Foundation's funds are used today as prize money for the highest scientific honour - the Nobel Prize . The use of nitroglycerin and its derivatives in medicine for the treatment of angina pectoris is also discussed.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 45 to 60 min
Against the background of a possible legalisation of cannabis, which is presented in detail, the abuse of drugs (morphine, heroin, cocaine, mescaline, cath, etc.) and stimulants (alcohol, nicotine, caffeine) as well as the development of addiction, including dependence on medicines (amphetamines, fentanyl derivatives, benzodiazepines) are addressed. Using well-known artists as examples, the effects of drugs and addiction on quality of life will be demonstrated. Ways of therapy and prevention are shown.
Target group: Pupils and teachers of advanced science courses as well as grammar school pupils, the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres and related educational institutions. - Duration: 75 - 90 minutesThe most important plastics, their applications and properties are presented. Some basic concepts of polymer chemistry are explained. Based on the development of the world population and the basic needs of people, it explains why - despite some disadvantages - we cannot do without plastics. The health risks posed by PFAS are pointed out and the littering of the oceans is addressed. The problems with micro- and nanoplastics are discussed.
Target group: Pupils and teachers of advanced science courses and the upper secondary school level as well as the school community and extracurricular educational institutions, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums - Duration: 60 minutes
Numerous examples are used to show why glass is such a fascinating material and building material.
Starting with natural glasses (tektites, obsidians), the different types of glass are discussed and the history
of glass production from antiquity to modern times is presented. The chemical composition of glass and the explanation of the typical characteristics of oxide glass as amorphous solids
are given a lot of space.
Various oxide glasses (Thuringian glass, Murano glass, safety glass, optical glass, "fireproof" glass, glass ceramics"",
etc.) are discussed. The recycling of used glass is also discussed.
Email: Senior chemistry experts
The development of chemical-pharmaceutical chemistry is closely linked to the development of colourants and is also a driver of industrial innovation. The global competition for our chemical site is a constant challenge for new products and problem solutions. Effect pigments are an example of the successful implementation of a new concept for colour and function. In addition to classic absorption and metallic pigments, these combine iridescent, bright colours with attractive gloss effects. They are based on the natural model of mother-of-pearl, mineral or textured colours. As multi-layer pigments, they are accessible on a large scale thanks to an intelligent combination of simple, technical and chemical processes and are increasingly being used as functional materials.
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target group: Science teachers, students on advanced science courses - Duration: 60 minutes
Target group: Students, teachers and the school community - Duration: 60 minutes
Target group: Pupils, teachers and the school community - Duration: 45-60 minutes
The history and development of the term "sustainable" is presented and the causes of the disturbed carbon cycle are discussed. In addition, facts about the climate, the misguided path of biofuels, climate engineering, cleaning up the atmosphere through geo-storage of wood and the carbon moratorium are addressed and discussed.
Target group: Pupils and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - duration: 60 to 75 minutes
Rockwood Lithium GmbH
Industriepark Hoechst
Building 879
D-65926 Frankfurt
Peter Rittmeier
| Lithium | Target group: the lecture can be adapted to the target group; upper middle school and high school |
Industrial organic chemistry is a complex, flexible network that has developed over a period of more than 150 years and is still constantly evolving. A limited number of basic and intermediate products are produced from a small number of raw materials, each of which is the starting point of value chains leading to the large number of end products. Using the example of propene, the lecture shows how to get from crude oil to superabsorbents or emulsion paints.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 45 to 60 minCatalysts are substances that lower the activation energy of a reaction system so that the desired reaction can take place at high speed. Their high selectivities result in fewer by-products - which is not only an economic advantage, but also protects our environment. Homogeneous catalysts are soluble metal complexes whose activity and selectivity can be tailored to the desired product. The presentation will give examples of industrially used, highly selective processes for both large-volume products (e.g. acetic acid) and specialities such as optically active compounds for pharmaceuticals (e.g. the Parkinson's drug L-DOPA).
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 45 to 60 min
Chemical products are omnipresent in our everyday lives. Examples include packaging, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, pesticides, detergents, textiles and much more. The basis for this diversity is organic chemistry, whose products are omnipresent in our everyday lives. However, inorganic materials also have a decisive influence on our lifestyle. After all, they are the basis for high-tech products such as flat screens, solar cells, smartphones, computers and high-performance batteries. We need raw materials for all these products, and they are finite. As the presentation shows, by improving our processes, we can both use new raw materials and better utilise our previously used raw materials, including through new material cycles.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary schools as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 45 to 60 min
Carbon dioxide is the carbon carrier of our planet. All naturally occurring organic compounds, including fossil fuels, are formed from it through photosynthesis/sunlight. Even though carbon dioxide is an extremely low-energy molecule, it can still undergo chemical reactions. However, this requires high-energy reaction partners such as hydrogen, ethylene oxide or ammonia. The lecture will present established and new syntheses with carbon dioxide that are currently under development. These include very large-volume syntheses of fuels (e-fuels), for example. However, their demand for (sustainable!) energy is enormous.
Target group: Students and teachers of advanced science courses and upper secondary school students as well as the school community, chemistry teacher training centres, young chemists' forums, adult education centres - Duration: 45 to 60 min
Following the motto "Use numbers, not adjectives", the lecture places the political discussion on renewable energies and climate change in the context of the dimensions of our current energy system. Access to affordable energy sources has driven the development of human societies in the past. Living standards and per capita consumption of primary energy correlate significantly, but the values vary remarkably.
The targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions are most likely only realistic if the replacement of fossil primary energy with renewable (solar) sources is combined with much more efficient energy utilisation. The latter is not only a technical issue, but also a social and behavioural one.Duration: 45-60 minutesThe chemical industry in Germany currently has a share of around 5% of the global market. Its carbon-containing products are mainly manufactured from the energy sources oil (72%) and gas (14%). As much as 13% of the products are based on renewable raw materials. Coal plays practically no role, accounting for less than 2%. In total, the German chemical industry uses around 20 million tonnes of organic raw materials and the same amount of inorganic raw materials such as table salt.
The chemical industry's raw materials have been and are constantly being adapted. At the beginning of the 19th century, wood was the raw material. Later, coal changed the entire industry and growth accelerated. After 1945, oil became the globally dominant raw material. Currently, however, coal is (re)gaining importance in China and gas in the USA in particular.The future of raw material supply will therefore be more diverse than in the past; there will no longer be a single dominant global raw material. Instead, there will be much greater regional diversification of raw materials. This will require globally active companies such as BASF in particular to significantly broaden their technology portfolio.Duration: 45-60 minutesCatalysers play a central role in the processes of the chemical industry. Both the raw material and the energy requirements of processes depend crucially on the quality of the catalysts used.
The development of such products is an extremely varied and challenging task. To master it, you have to be proficient in a large number of specialist disciplines. A technical catalyst is much more than an "active centre" and is often the result of a balanced compromise between several actually contradictory objectives.The presentation will shed light on these aspects and use a specific example to show the unconventional results that such a development process can lead to.
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Target group: Students, especially STEM students and students of STEM performance courses, science teachers, school community, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (for science forum, annual meeting, SEC lecturer)
The chemical industry in Germany currently has a share of around 5% of the global market. Its carbon-containing products are predominantly manufactured from the energy sources oil (72%) and gas (14%). As much as 13% of the products are based on renewable raw materials. Coal plays practically no role, accounting for less than 2%. In total, the German chemical industry uses around 20 million tonnes of organic raw materials. The chemical industry is an energy-intensive sector; the most important energy sources are gas and electricity.
The chemical industry's raw materials have been and are constantly being adapted. At the beginning of the 19th century, wood was the raw material. Later, coal changed the entire industry and growth accelerated. After 1945, oil became the globally dominant raw material. Currently, however, coal is (re)gaining importance in China and gas in the USA in particular. The presentation will explain the criteria used to select the raw material base at different locations. Technical processes for utilising all raw materials are known.The chemical industry is the third largest industrial emitter of CO2 on a global scale after steel and cement with a share of 8%. The key to reducing this share will be the availability of "green" electricity and hydrogen without an atmospheric CO2 backpack. Increasing the amount of carbon used from renewable raw materials is coming up against ecological limits.Duration: 60 minutes
Target group: Students, especially STEM students and students of STEM performance courses, science teachers, school community, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (for science forum, annual meeting, SEC lecturer)
| Genetic engineering - what is it? How does it work? | All of Jany's lectures: Target group: Students of advanced science courses, science teachers, school community, chemistry teacher training centres Duration: 45-60 minutes |
| Genetic engineering in everyday life | s.o. |
| Genetically modified food - opportunities and risks | s.o. |
| Green genetic engineering - forming opinions in discourse | s.o. |
| Ecotoxicology - conventional and genetically modified plants | s.o. |
| From Mendel to modern plant breeding | s.o. |
| Food of the future - Novel Foods | see above. |
| Food intolerances - allergies and pseudoallergies | S.o. |
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Egerlandstraße 1
D-91058 Erlangen
Horst Kisch
| Solar catalysis - gentle chemistry with air and sun | Target group: Students, teachers and the school community |
No other element offers such a wide range of reaction possibilities as carbon. Beyond organic chemistry with its main protagonist carbon, carbon can even be found in space as diamonds (unfortunately difficult to access) but also in the ground as the fossil energy source coal. Technical progress in materials science is often linked to our record-breaking properties (e.g. electrical current density [109 A/cm²] ─ 100 times higher than copper). The example of carbon shows how scientific findings can inspire technology and the economy: The basis of the chemical industry!
Carbon in the atmosphere also influences the temperature through CO2 and soot particulate matter. However, the size of the effect is disputed. After the lecture, everyone will know that carbon is the more valuable material compared to gold!
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer) - Duration: 45-60 minutes
Heating with carbon is nothing out of the ordinary. Any coal stove is a good example. But you can also use carbon for heating without burning it by energising it. Imagine a carbon dispersion that is applied to the wallpaper with a lambskin roller like wall paint, connected to the right and left with a copper strip and a voltage applied. Why does this have a different effect on our bodies than the usual radiators? What other interesting things can be done with a "paintable" heating system?
Lecture with a short demonstration
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)
Duration: 45-60 minutes
When nature needs stable structures, it does not create "bulwarks", but instead uses a combination of materials with different densities and strengths, usually with fibre-like components. Wood is a typical example of this. But why is this combination of materials so important? Why does a pane of glass break when bent, but fibreglass does not? Also interesting: why are aeroplanes largely made of fibre composite structures and cars almost not at all?
Lecture with exhibits
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)
Duration: 45-60 minutes
Management theory insists that a company can only be successful in the future with an investment appraisal. Even the layman recognises from various press reports that new plants or company acquisitions have failed to achieve the expected success despite an investment appraisal. It is therefore interesting to find out what the calculation can do and where its limits are. Because there is always a risk, which often fades behind full-bodied promises.
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)After reading Wikipedia about "greenhouse gas", you think you have understood how CO2 works in the atmosphere. However, the fact that it contributes between 9% and 26% to the greenhouse effect, although the global differences in concentration are very small in contrast to water vapour, is perplexing!
With the relatively simple photometry equation according to Lambert-Beer and spectroscopy data from the Internet (e.g. from HITRAN.org), you can calculate in Excel that the greenhouse effect of CO2 is at least 26% - however, the total greenhouse effect is much, much smaller than generally stated. (Is this effect really comparable to the greenhouse?)
You don't need to be a "climate expert" to understand the lecture. Knowledge of maths and physics from upper secondary school is sufficient.
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM advanced courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)
Duration: 45-60 minutes
The time for mindlessly handling materials is slowly coming to an end. This is very positive in many respects. But is the threat posed by plastic waste and microplastics a legitimate justification for this? What is the truth about "plastic on our plates" and how can we find the huge islands of plastic waste in the Pacific?
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially from STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)
Duration: 45-60 minutes
The highest form of energy efficiency is usually not having to convert energy. However, when we do use energy, it is usually for movement or heat management (heating, cooling). The energy "consumption" of moving bodies depends on their mass, which is why lighter materials should be favoured; does this really always apply? Foam-like materials are the first choice for efficient heat utilisation. But not only that!
Target group: Pupils from STEM schools, especially STEM performance courses; science teachers, school community, support associations, adult education centres, chemistry teacher training centres, SEC (annual meeting, science forum, SEC lecturer)
Duration: 45-60 minutes