Central Institute for Physical Chemistry
The Central Institute for Physical Chemistry ( ZIPC ) was an institute for physical chemistry and belonged to the Academy of Sciences of the GDR (AdW) in Berlin-Adlershof . It was created in 1968 through restructuring within the academy ( academy reform ), mainly through the incorporation of smaller institutes and independent research units. In 1990 the ZIPC had around 750 employees.
On December 31, 1991, the ZIPC was wound up in accordance with the Unification Agreement , Article 38, Paragraph 3. All employees were given notice without notice.
The institute's buildings including the hall laboratory for small-scale tests were demolished. The isothermal ball laboratories "Adlershofer Busen" are under monument protection and will be preserved as a monument on Rudower Chaussee.
history
In the mid-1950s, the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin (DAW), as it was still called at that time, was faced with the task of building up the research capacities required for the development of the GDR's economy. This gave rise to the decision to expand the Institute for Catalysis Research (KF), founded in Rostock in 1951, and to found an institute for physical chemistry.
As early as 1949, the academy was granted the premises in Adlershof. The first discussions about the construction of the institute and the infrastructure took place in Moscow in 1956 with the physical chemist Peter Adolf Thiessen and the responsible architect Horst Welser . It was founded in 1957 by Peter Adolf Thiessen, who headed the institute as director until 1964. In 1959, the research areas were also separated between the Institute for Organic Catalysis Research in Rostock and an Institute for Inorganic Catalysis Research in Berlin-Adlershof.
With the formation of the research association of the institutes of the DAW in 1957 the area was released for further development with research facilities.
tasks
The main subject of research in the scientific areas of the central institute was fundamental physico-chemical problems of reactions and processes, especially at interfaces and disperse systems , taking into account activation and transport processes . In the analytical center, analytical methods were developed and applied to specific tasks. A particular focus was environmental problems.
There were:
- Research assignments accepted,
- Expert opinions, studies and projects prepared
- Consultations, analyzes and tests carried out
such as
- Licenses and know-how
forgive.
Science areas
Theoretical Chemistry (TC)
- Molecular Interactions
- Dissipative structures
- Computational chemistry
Solid state reactivity (FR)
- Physico-chemical basics of materials research
- Tribochemistry, tribology, solid state chemistry, colloid chemistry
- X-ray diffraction, thermal analysis, electrochemical and metallographic methods, ellipsometry, CVD
- Magneto- and electrorheology, gel engineering of oxide ceramics
Catalysis (K)
- Contributions to the fundamentals of heterogeneous catalysis for selected catalyst systems and reactions
- Contribution to the development of new catalysts with a special focus on molecular sieves
- Modeling of the interplay of catalytic reaction and mass and heat transport processes in the catalytic converter
- Multifunctional catalysts, metal catalysts, molecular sieves
Plasma and Laser Chemistry (PLC)
- Chemical reactions using plasmas and lasers
- Plasma cartridge, shock wave tube, UV, IR laser, diagnostics
- Modeling chemical reactions using thermodynamic and kinetic parameters
Area Basics of Adsorption (GA)
- Synthesis, characterization and modification of microporous adsorbents, especially of zeolites
- Optimization of adsorbents in environmental protection
- Mathematical modeling of adsorbers
- Technology proposals for material separation
- Investigation of the equilibrium and non-equilibrium adsorption of individual substances and mixtures
- Quantum chemical ab initio methods and molecular statistical calculations
- Quantum chemical calculation of the acidity and hydrophobicity of adsorbents and catalysts
Environmental Technology, Research and Consulting (UFOB)
- Hydrogenolytic recycling of trichlorobenzene-lindane residues (pesticide residues)
- Synthesis of zeolites A, X, Y from kaolins
- Electrochemical desalination and drying of masonry
- A-charcoal investigation
- Manufacture of noble energy carriers to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
- High-quality carburetor fuel
Analytical Center (AZ)
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis, substance identification, structural analysis, surface analysis
- Environmental analysis, modeling and simulation of the constituents in surface waters
- Catalyst research (molecular sieves, zeolites, coal)
- Materials science, high tech materials, sensor testing and development, hygrometer testing and calibration
- Kinetics and dynamics of thermal and photochemical relaxation processes as well as surface phenomena
- Structure-property relationships of organic molecules
people
- Founder and first director of the Institute for Physical Chemistry since 1957: Academician Peter Adolf Thiessen
- Director of the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry (ZIPC) from 1964 to 1985: Academician Wolfgang Schirmer
- Hans Joachim Spangenberg , temporarily deputy director
- Director of the ZIPC from 1985 to May 1990: Academician Gerhard Öhlmann
From June 1990, the ZIPC was headed by a board of directors made up of the heads of the research areas:
- Lutz Zülicke , Managing Director, Head of Theoretical Chemistry (TC)
- Karsten Peter Thiessen , Deputy Managing Director, Head of Solid State Reactivity (FR)
- Heiner Lieske, Head of Catalysis (K)
- Hans Joachim Spangenberg, Head of Plasma and Laser Chemistry (PLC)
- Jürgen Caro , Head of Basics of Adsorption (GA)
- Jürgen Scheve, Head of Environmental Technology, Research and Consulting (UFOB)
- Klaus Richter, Head of the Analytical Center (AZ)
The future Chancellor Angela Merkel was a research assistant in the theoretical chemistry department at ZIPC until the beginning of 1990.
Klaus Ulbricht , District Mayor of Köpenick and Treptow-Köpenick from 1992 to 2006 , was department head in the Analytical Center of the ZIPC.
Individual evidence
- ^ Scientific-technical society Adlershof WITEGA (Hrsg.): On the history of the research association of the scientific, technical and medical institutions of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin (Adlershof splitter) . tape 5 . Berlin 1997, p. 91 .
- ^ Academy of Sciences of the GDR, Central Institute for Physical Chemistry . Self-published, Berlin 1990.