{"id":14057,"date":"2024-03-20T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-03-20T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/?post_type=news&p=14057"},"modified":"2025-12-12T11:47:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T11:47:03","slug":"promoting-young-talent-pupils-immerse-themselves-in-nanoworlds-at-zbt-2","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/en\/news\/promoting-young-talent-pupils-immerse-themselves-in-nanoworlds-at-zbt-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Promoting young talent: Pupils immerse themselves in nanoworlds at ZBT"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Promoting young talent: Pupils immerse themselves in nanoworlds at ZBT<\/h1>\n
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The NanoSchoolLab of the University of Duisburg-Essen was a guest at ZBT. Eleventh-graders built components for electrolysis cells and tested them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Eleven Year 11 students from two Duisburg secondary schools recently took a look at the world of\u00a0nanoparticles\u00a0<\/b>in\u00a0fuel cell<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0electrolysis<\/a>\u00a0technology at the ZBT – Center for Fuel Cell Technology. They came over to us as part of an event organized by the\u00a0NanoSchoolLabs<\/b>\u00a0“Insights into the nanoworld” at the\u00a0University of Duisburg-Essen<\/b>\u00a0to experience the application of nanoparticles for themselves in the ZBT laboratories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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The so-called\u00a0membrane electrode assembly<\/a>\u00a0(MEA) is the electrochemical heart of a fuel or electrolysis cell.\u00a0Nanomaterials\u00a0<\/b>are used primarily in the field of catalysts. The students learned about the process chain for manufacturing the MEA and carried out practical experiments themselves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Nanotechnology at its best<\/h2>\n
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In wet chemistry, the students were able to weigh catalyst powder, pipette solvent and ionomer and disperse the whole thing in an ultrasonic bath to\u00a0produce a dispersion<\/a>.\u00a0Catalyst layers<\/a>\u00a0were then sprayed in the coating laboratory. Finally, the self-built MEAs were tested in the\u00a0electrolysis cell<\/b>\u00a0in the test bench laboratory. At each station and during all activities, the ZBT scientists explained the underlying physical and chemical principles.<\/p>\n

The NanoSchoolLab offers day courses, project courses and teacher training on nanotechnology topics from the fields of physics, engineering and chemistry. The offer is aimed at courses in grades 8 to 13 at grammar schools, comprehensive schools, secondary schools and vocational colleges. Visiting the NanoSchoolLab is free of charge.<\/p>\n

to the NanoSchoolLab of the University of Duisburg-Essen<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Image Collection<\/h4>\n
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\n \n \"How\n <\/a>\n How to… Catalyst dispersion: a brief introduction by ZBT doctoral student Adib Caidi\n\n<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n \"Try\n <\/a>\n Try it out for yourself: Participants were able to make a catalyst dispersion themselves.\n\n<\/span>\n <\/div>\n \n
\n \n \"A\n <\/a>\n A short trip into the nanoworld: ZBT doctoral student Miriam Hesse shows NanoSchoolLab participants the ZBT laboratories.\n\n<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n\n