Strong Chemistry for a Sustainable Future
2026/05/15
TU Darmstadt has performed well in the current funding round for Collaborative Research Centres (CRC): the German Research Foundation (DFG) has approved the new CRC “Paper. With tailor-made properties to new applications”, which is based in Darmstadt. It has also extended funding for another Collaborative Research Centre, which is now entering its second funding phase and involves, among others, researchers from the Rhine-Main Universities (RMU) working together. The success of the two Collaborative Research Centres also strengthens the “Matter” profile area of the Rhine-Main Universities Alliance.
“I would like to congratulate all colleagues involved most warmly on this success. It once again demonstrates the strength of TU Darmstadt: basic and applied research are seamlessly integrated here and have an impact along the entire value chain. Through collaboration and xchange with strong partners, effective solutions for society and the economy are created,” says Professor Matthias Oechsner, TU Vice-President for Research.
New CRC “Paper”
Paper is an intriguing material from a scientific perspective. It has outstanding recycling rates superior to other soft materials and is biodegradable, characteristics which render it particularly sustainable. It possesses unique mechanical properties, fluidic properties as well as interfacial properties. This has also given rise to new ideas for future high-tech applications, such as sensors, light-weight constructive materials or 4D-printed soft-robots. However, the relationship between the chemical and geometric structure of paper and its properties is not yet sufficiently understood to turn these visions into real-world applications. This is where the new CRC “Paper” comes in. Professor Markus Biesalski, who serves as the spokesperson for the newly established CRC “Paper” and is the head of the Macromolecular and Paper Chemistry research group at TU Darmstadt, elucidates the significance of a comprehensive understanding of the structural intricacies of paper in determining its unique properties. “This profound knowledge paves the way for the development of functional and tailor-made paper-based materials and composites, thereby unveiling hitherto unexplored domains of application for paper.”
Researchers from five departments at TU Darmstadt will collaborate with external colleagues to investigate the relationships between fibres and paper structure, manufacturing processes, the properties of paper products, and potential applications. Both experimental and computer-aided methods and models will be employed. The researchers are initially focusing on three application areas for paper materials of the future: paper-based sensors, lightweight materials for applications in engineering or construction, and robotic systems made with paper as the flexible base material.
The CRC “Paper” will launch on 1 October and will initially receive funding until 2030. It will build upon TU Darmstadt’s extensive expertise in the field of paper research, including the LOEWE research cluster “BAMP! – Building with Paper” – funded by the State of Hesse – and, several other collaborative projects funded by the DFG, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, and the European Union. Researchers from the departments of Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Earth Sciences, Biology, and Physics at TU Darmstadt, as well as from the University of Freiburg, Saarland University, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Mainz University of Applied Sciences, and the Heidenau Institute for Fibres & Paper, are conducting research within the new CRC “Paper”.
Extended funding for CRC “Iron, upgraded”
Alongside the newly approved funding for the CRC “Functional Papers”, the DFG has also extended its support for the CRC “Iron, upgraded!” (“Eisen, neu gedacht!”).
The Collaborative Research Centre addresses the challenge that, in pursuit of a sustainable future, many materials and processes need to be rethought, as they rely on rare, toxic or critical elements.
In this context, iron is a highly promising alternative, being inexpensive, environmentally friendly and chemically versatile. Its high and often uncontrolled reactivity, however, has so far stood in the way of broader application. “Our vision is that, with the help of chemistry, we can modulate iron's environment in such a way that its reactivity and properties can be precisely controlled for sustainable applications,” explains the CRC's spokesperson, Professor Ulrike Kramm. Possible fields of application range from catalysis for the sustainable production of base chemicals, through fuel cells in the automotive sector, to novel magnetic materials for cooling systems and wind turbines. On the strength of its compelling scientific achievements, the CRC “Iron, upgraded” will therefore enter its second funding period, running from July 2026 to the end of 2029.
The CRC “Iron, upgraded” brings together expertise on iron, with the involvement of the two other Rhine-Main universities, Frankfurt and Mainz, as well as the partner universities of Heidelberg, Paderborn and Bayreuth, the Technical University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion.
Background:
Collaborative Research Centres (CRC) are joint university projects funded by the German Research Foundation for up to twelve years, in which researchers collaborate across disciplines. They enable ambitious, long-term research projects and serve to shape research priorities and structures. In the new funding round, 13 CRCs were newly established and 25 were extended. From October 2026, the DFG will fund a total of 260 of these collaborative projects.
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