The following projects started in 2024.

In the Nano-Argovia project BatCoat, researchers are investigating a “zero-excess lithium anode” for the next generation of lithium-metal solid-state battery cells, which represent a promising alternative to battery cells based on conventional lithium-ion technology. Li-metal solid-state battery cells have a higher energy density and are safer than the lithium-ion batteries currently used in electric cars, for example. They could therefore make a significant contribution to effective, safe and sustainable electromobility, although there are still some technical limitations that the interdisciplinary team in the Nano-Argovia project BatCoat will seek to address. 

Better safety and stability

In the new Li-metal solid-state battery cells that are being investigated, the negatively charged electrode (anode) is not made of graphite/silicon, as is the case in lithium-ion battery cells, but rather of three-dimensional (3D) copper onto which very thin surface-functional layers are deposited. The nanoscale functional layers help to uniformly and reversibly deposit and strip lithium as the only source in the cathode. Another key difference from lithium-ion batteries is that solid-state battery cells have an electrolyte made of a solid lithium-ion-conducting material. This can lead to better safety and stability.

Before reliable Li-metal solid-state battery cells can become a reality, there are a number of technical hurdles that must be overcome — and this is where the Nano-Argovia project BatCoat comes in. The researchers, led by project leader Dr. Mario El Kazzi from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, are investigating how lithium can be homogeneously deposited on a copper surface and withstand more than 500 charge/discharge cycles with sustained high capacity without the lithium reacting with the solid electrolyte. They hope to achieve this by depositing very thin layers of different materials (with a thickness of <100 nanometers) on the copper surface.

In collaboration with Professor Kaspar Löffel from FHNW, the researchers are also investigating the benefits of 3D copper as a promising solution that could help to mitigate the formation of lithium dendrites on the anode, as these can have various negative effects on battery performance and safety. Finally, the researchers will develop a concept for producing these nanoscale functional layers on 3D copper on an industrial scale.

Collaboration between:

Paul Scherrer Institute PSI // FHNW School of Engineering // Oerlikon Metco AG (Wohlen, AG)

“The project potentially allows us to enter the value chain of Gen 3 and Gen 4 lithium-metal cell technology with a strong unique selling proposition.”

Dr. Phani Kumar Yalamanchili, Oerlikon Metco AG

Researchers working on the Nano-Argovia project HiZfEM are planning to develop a new electron detector with improved image quality for transmission electron microscopy. To this end, the interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI, the University of Basel and the industrial partner DECTRIS AG (Baden, AG) is applying the experience it has gained from developing other hybrid pixel detectors for photon science.

Improvements are possible

Today, “complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor” (CMOS) detectors are the most popular detector for high-performance transmission electron microscopes. They are based on the semiconductor material silicon and consist of an array of light-sensitive pixels that are integrated on a single chip together with the signal processing circuit. In contrast, hybrid pixel detectors are made up of two separate layers in which the sensor part is separated from the readout part. At present, comparatively thick silicon sensors are also used with hybrid pixel detectors in electron microscopy, but their imaging performance is limited due to multiple scattering in their thicker silicon sensors, which are needed to protect their more sophisticated signal processing circuitry from incident high-energy electrons. The decisive advantage of hybrid pixel detectors over CMOS detectors is the possibility of using sensor materials other than silicon in order to improve the detection capabilities of the detector system. The use of sensor materials with a higher electron density should significantly improve image sharpness, as demonstrated by simulations and recent experimental studies.

Change of detector material

In the Nano-Argovia project HiZfEM, the researchers led by Dr. Dominic Greiffenberg from the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI are planning to use gallium arsenide (GaAs) doped with chromium instead of silicon as a detector material in a hybrid pixel detector and to quantify the advantages compared with CMOS detectors in a specific electron energy range.

DECTRIS, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of hybrid pixel detectors, is providing the novel sensor material GaAs:Cr for the investigations. The researchers involved are optimistic that, by using the heavier sensor material, they will also be able to improve the quality of data delivered by the transmission electron microscope.

Collaboration between:

Paul Scherrer Institute PSI // Biozentrum, University of Basel // DECTRIS AG (Baden, AG)

“We’re thrilled to collaborate on the HiZfEM project, where our advanced GaAs material will play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of electron microscopy. This collaboration with esteemed institutions like the Paul Scherrer Institute and the University of Basel underscores our commitment to pioneering scientific advancement and solidifies our position at the forefront of hybrid pixel detector technology.”

Dr. Sonia Fernandez, DECTRIS AG

In the Nano-Argovia project NANOdePET, an interdisciplinary team is developing a sustainable method to enable the enzymatic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic. Using nanotechnology, the researchers working on the project supramolecularly engineer enzymes to equip them with the ability to degrade PET efficiently. The second phase of the project will examine the possibility of implementing the resulting technology on an industrial scale. 

Demand for sustainable recycling methods

Worldwide, more than 55 million tons of the plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are produced every year, and this volume will continue to rise in the future. The main applications are packaging (bottles and films) as well as fabrics and textiles. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for innovative measures to prevent a continuous increase in the environmental burden and to enable the reuse of this versatile polymeric material. Today, in industrialized countries, this is primarily achieved by mechanical methods with subsequent melting down and reuse of the material — but this technique produces harmful waste and only allows a limited number of cycles, as the quality of the material decreases with each cycle.

Alternative chemical methods developed so far, which allow processing of the building blocks back into high-quality PET, are not only energy-intensive and costly but also associated with detrimental waste. One solution would involve the enzymatic degradation of PET, but known PET-degrading enzymes are thermally unstable and costly to use.

Modified enzymes with improved properties

Now, a team of researchers from the FHNW School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering is working with the start-up INOFEA to develop a sustainable PET-degradation method based on enzymatic hydrolysis. The researchers, led by Professor Patrick Shahgaldian, are using a platform developed by INOFEA to modify the nanoenvironment of PET-depolymerizing enzymes (ester hydrolases) so that they exhibit higher stability and a better conversion rate than soluble enzymes.

Using nanotechnological methods, natural enzymes are immobilized on a silica core and stabilized using artificial “chaperones.” A coating of organic silica with a controlled thickness protects the enzymes from external influences but allows the enzymatic degradation of PET.

The researchers will first test suitable enzymes and produce various nanosystems. These systems will then be tested for PET degradation, and a recycling process will be established on a laboratory scale. Next, the team will compare the results with the recycling methods that are currently in use today and evaluate the method’s suitability for industrial PET recycling.

Collaboration between:

School of Life Sciences and School of Engineering, FHNW, and INOFEA AG

“This collaboration with FHNW, financially supported by the SNI, offers INOFEA an opportunity to expand its portfolio of nano-engineered enzymes and address environmental concerns by providing a sustainable solution to plastic waste. INOFEA expects to gain a competitive edge and meet market demand for environmentally friendly products.”

Dr. Rita Correro, INOFEA

The team in the Nano-Argovia project ProtEDinNanoxtals aims to use electron diffraction to investigate the role of hydrogen atoms in protein function, as well as interactions between proteins and ligands. By doing so, the researchers will gain insights into the structure of proteins at the atomic level and a better understanding of vital biological processes, thereby supporting drug development.

Hydrogen is always involved

Hydrogen atoms play a decisive role in the structure, stability and function of proteins — the nanomachines that organize the life and shape of our cells. Hydrogen atoms are the lightest but most abundant atoms on our planet. They help to stabilize the three-dimensional shape of proteins by interacting with other atoms — that is, by forming hydrogen bonds — and also participate in the biological function of the proteins themselves. Knowledge of the hydrogen coordinates in the protein structure at the active center is therefore crucial for the development of new active pharmaceutical ingredients, but the limitations of conventional methods mean it is difficult for scientists to map the location of hydrogen atoms in proteins.

Electron diffraction as the method of choice

Now, the interdisciplinary team working on the Nano-Argovia project ProtEDinNanoxtals is planning to use electron diffraction to investigate the position of hydrogen atoms at the active sites of proteins. In this method, accelerated electrons hit the sample and are diffracted due to interactions with atoms inside the thousands of protein molecules that are arranged symmetrically within the nanocrystal lattice. The position of the atoms — and therefore of the molecules — in the sample can be calculated based on the diffraction patterns obtained. Recent years have seen huge progress in the development of electron diffraction measuring devices and sample preparation, paving the way for their use on various proteins.

A diverse team of experts led by Dr. Valérie Panneels (Paul Scherrer Institute) will now analyze model proteins of different sizes and functions. These proteins are photosensors that are inactive in the dark and for which the resting structure is known. First, an electron microscope and a horizontal electron diffractometer will be used to measure light-oxygen-voltage-sensing domain 1 (LOV-1), a small domain responsible for the regulation of various functions by light perception in organisms from prokaryotes to eukaryotes. In parallel, the researchers will measure and analyze rhodopsin, a larger protein that is responsible for the process of vision. Following these investigations with known model proteins, the team will then examine nanocrystals of further membrane proteins of pharmaceutical interest. The quality of the data will depend on the perfect ordering of the protein crystals, which must be very thin, nanometer-size crystals in order to reduce multiple-scattering events.

With this project, the research team hopes to highlight the advantages of electron diffraction as a complement to other structural biology techniques and therefore to improve the methodology by applying it to membrane proteins in order to gain new insights into the interaction of proteins with their functional ligands. The method allows everything from resolution at an atomic level to information on the hydrogen content, and the project will therefore make a substantial contribution to revealing the mechanisms of action of potential pharmaceutical ingredients. Ultimately, the researchers will add the generated structures to corresponding databases, in which structures obtained by electron diffraction are significantly underrepresented at present.

Collaboration between:

Paul Scherrer Institute // Biozentrum, University of Basel // leadXpro AG // ELDICO Scientific AG

“leadXpro is specialized in membrane protein structure-based drug discovery with the help of X-ray crystallography and cryo-EM for the discovery of novel medicines. Electron diffraction could evolve as a vital complementary technology for nanocrystals, as well as for the analysis of hydrogen atoms.”

Dr. Michael Hennig, leadXpro

“ELDICO was the first company to produce commercially available devices that are dedicated to electron diffraction (ED) crystallography. In addition, via its application center in Basel, it constantly refines this method and frequently offers ED as a service to customers in the pharmaceutical industry. In this project, ELDICO will work hand in hand with partners to help expand the potential use of ED on proteins — and especially on challenging membrane proteins.”  

Dr. Gunther Steinfeld, ELDICO Scientific AG

In the Nano-Argovia project ZIRYT, an interdisciplinary team is investigating how a nanostructured surface can be used to produce zirconium dioxide dental implants that offer an aesthetically pleasing and metal-free alternative to titanium implants.

Seeking an alternative

Titanium implants have become the main choice for tooth replacement. As patients increasingly demand more aesthetically pleasing and metal-free solutions, however, researchers are looking for suitable alternatives. The team around project leader Dr. Nadja Rohr (University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB, University of Basel) sees great potential in the increased use of zirconium dioxide as a substitute for titanium. The researchers are working with Professor Géraldine Guex (UZB) and the project partners Professor Michael de Wild (IM2, FHNW) and Dr. Raphael Wagner (Institut Straumann AG) to develop the basic principles for further optimizing the surface of zirconium dioxide implants.

Currently, the surface of the implant section anchored in the jaw is sandblasted and etched with acids in a complex process to create a suitable surface microstructure that supports the ingrowth of bone cells. In the Nano-Argovia project ZIRYT, researchers are now working to produce a nanostructured surface using only targeted heat treatment. This is possible because, under the influence of heat, zirconium dioxide forms crystals on the surface that create the nanostructure.

Nanostructure with ideal properties

The Nano-Argovia project ZIRYT aims to determine how the nanostructuring of the zirconium dioxide surface affects the integration of bone tissue in vitro. The researchers are investigating the influence of different starting materials and heat treatment processes on the crystal structure and therefore on surface topography. Using state-of-the-art analytical methods and different cell culture models, the researchers evaluate the interaction between implant material and tissue.

In this way, they will determine the ideal surface structure and define the requirements for manufacturing. The project will help facilitate the production of next-generation zirconium dioxide dental implants for the benefit of patients.

Collaboration between:

University Center for Dental Medicine Basel UZB of the University of Basel // IM2, FHNW School of Life Sciences // Institut Straumann AG (Basel)

“We believe that zirconium dioxide-based dental implants will grow to become a significant market in the coming years. For this reason, we’re particularly interested in the results of the ZIRYT project, which has the potential to optimize both the complexity of the manufacturing process and the clinical results of our products — for the benefit of patients. Our long-standing and successful collaboration with the UZB, the University of Basel and the FHNW encourages us to continue supporting these centers of competence in their excellent research.”

Dr. Raphael Wagner, Institut Straumann AG (Basel)