In order to create materials with ever better properties, a wide range of studies are required. Researchers at the Institute of Materials Science use the facilities of the German Electron Synchrotron (DESY) at the Helmholtz Association's research centre in Hamburg for up to five weeks every year. It is one of the world's leading accelerator centres. The advantage for the more than 3,000 users from over 40 nations who visit the centre every year: The X-rays from Petra III, as the source is called, can be used to analyse very small material samples. And this can be done while the sample is undergoing heat treatment and thermomechanical treatments such as wire drawing, welding, forming or rolling processes, for example.

The formation of new materials can be tracked during the synthesis process and the desired properties can be adjusted by specifically modifying their internal structure. This saves resources. These so-called in situ and in operando studies are the prerequisite for material design and the efficient development of resource-saving production technologies in micro-, nano- and optoelectronics, energy conversion, for example in solar cells, energy storage in batteries or the manufacture of long-lasting products. In addition to the development of electronic and battery materials, the Freiberg team at DESY is investigating issues relating to material synthesis and material behaviour under extreme conditions, the production of 3D-printed components and climate-neutral material conversion processes.