3D Matter Made to Order

In a recent study, a team of scientists, including Cluster Doctoral Researcher Nadine von Coelln, Postdoctoral Researchers Marjan Krstić and Christian Huck, and Principal Investigators Petra Tegeder, Carsten Rockstuhl, and Christof Wöll, developed a multiscale computational model to predict the optical response of chiral surface-anchored metal-organic frameworks (SURMOFs). Their approach integrates quantum-chemical simulations at the unit-cell level with electromagnetic scattering models for entire thin films. The team validated the model using infrared spectroscopy, IR-SNOM, and solid-state VCD, finding excellent agreement between theory and measurements. These results establish SURMOFs as powerful platforms for solid-state VCD and provide a robust tool for designing next-generation chiral MOF materials.

© Fingolo, A. C., et al. (2025), Adv. Funct. Mater., CC BY 4.0.

Cluster Principal Investigator Christian Koos has been awarded the Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize 2025 for his pioneering contributions to energy-efficient optical communication technologies. His research group develops advanced photonic microchip systems that use light instead of electrical signals to significantly increase data transfer speed and reduce energy consumption. These innovations are crucial for data centers and AI applications that rely on processing large volumes of information. Several start-ups co-founded by Koos are implementing these technologies in industrial applications worldwide. The Karl Heinz Beckurts Prize is awarded annually to researchers whose work demonstrates exceptional scientific excellence and clear economic significance.This prestigious award highlights the significant impact and practical relevance of his scientific achievements.

A new study, including Cluster Alumnus Marcus Dodds and PI Eva Blasco, has developed a light-based 3D printing method that can fabricate complex structures from redox-active carbazole polymers. These printed materials remain fully electrochemically switchable, displaying reversible color and charge changes throughout their entire architecture. Using in situ spectroelectrochemistry, the researchers tracked these redox processes within multilayer 3D objects. The study demonstrates how precise light-based fabrication can be combined with electrochemical functionality to create fully addressable 3D material systems. This advance paves the way for future electrochromic devices, adaptive optics, sensors, and printed optoelectronic technologies.

© Delavier et al., Adv. Funct. Mater., 2025, e18546, CC BY 4.0

Cluster Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Peer Fischer was awarded a prestigious ERC Synergy Grant from the European Research Council. The international project, titled DNA4RENOMS, aims to develop light-responsive, reconfigurable nano-opto-mechanical systems using advanced DNA nanotechnology. The teams will employ DNA as a programmable construction material to create nanoscale machines that can dynamically restructure themselves and change their mechanical properties with molecular precision. These innovative nanoscale machines aim to enable sustainable self-organization and future technologies such as artificial muscles or ultra-precise force sensors small enough to operate inside living tissues. The ERC will support the collaborative research effort with substantial funding for the participating groups over six years.

In a new Cluster publication, Doctoral Researchers Johannes Markhart, Philipp Mainik, Pia S. Klee, and Principal Investigator Eva Blasco demonstrate a novel 4D printing concept based on self-immolative polymers. The researchers show that, when exposed to a chemical trigger, 3D-printed structures can shrink and regrow reversibly due to rapid depolymerization and subsequent repolymerization within the material. These transformations occur at room temperature, enabling the printed object to regain much of its original shape and mechanical properties. This study broadens the possibilities of dynamic material programming in additive manufacturing and illustrates how chemical control can introduce reversible functionality into 4D-printed systems.

© Markhart et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2025, e20642, CC BY

A team of scientists, including Cluster Doctoral Researchers Erik Jung and Clara Vazquez-Martel and Principal Investigators Eva Blasco and Wolfram Pernice, has developed a new plug-and-play fiber interface for photonic chips. The researchers used two-photon polymerization to 3D-print optical couplers and alignment structures directly onto the chip. This enables a standard MTP multifiber connector to be plugged in without any active alignment. This connection achieves extremely low optical loss and remains stable across the entire telecom wavelength range. This breakthrough overcomes a significant challenge in scalable photonic packaging and is a crucial step toward mass-producible photonic AI accelerators and neuromorphic processors.

© Jung et al., Sci. Adv. 2025, eadz1883, CC BY-NC 4.0