Der schnelle Fortschritt der elektronischen Geräte erhöht die Nachfrage nach verbesserten Li-Ionen Batterien. Kommerziell erhältliche Li-Zellen nutzen meist Lithiumkobaltoxid für die positive Elektrode. Doch gerade dieses Material ist ein Hindernis für eine weitere Optimierung, insbesondere für eine Kostensenkung. Vor allem für größere Anwendungen wie Hybrid- oder Elektrofahrzeuge müssen alternative Materialen erforscht werden, die billiger, sicherer und umweltverträglicher sind. Daher wird im ISEA derzeit ein neues Forschungsprojekt ins Leben gerufen und die dafür benötigte Infrastruktur geschaffen. Die Forschung wird sich auf die Untersuchung geeigneter Übergangsmetalloxide und Polyanionen konzentrieren, die besonders gut zur Einlagerung von Li-Ionen geeignet sind. Es werden neue Herstellungsverfahren unter Verwendung wässriger Precurser-Substanzen untersucht, die Verbindungen mit überlegenen Eigenschaften erzeugen und außerdem leicht an eine Massenproduktion angepasst werden können. Ziel der Arbeiten ist, preisgünstiges Elektrodenmaterial zu entwickeln, das eine spezifische Energie von über 200 Wh/kg und eine Leistungsdichte von 400 W/kg aufweist. Außerdem werden Arbeiten im Bereich der physikalisch-chemischen Charakterisierung der neuen Materialien stattfinden sowie elektrochemische Analysen der gesamten Zellen- und Batteriesysteme durchgeführt. Das elektrodynamische Verhalten der neuen Zellen wird u. a. mit Hilfe der elektrochemischen Impedanzspektroskopie analysiert, um präzise und zuverlässige Algorithmen für ein späteres Batteriemonitoring im realen Betrieb zu finden.
The increasing proportion of carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRP) in different branches of industry will result in an increasingly larger quantity of CFRP wastes in future. With regard to improved management of natural resources, it is necessary to add these fibres that require energy-intensive production to effective recycling management. But high-quality material recycling is only ecoefficient if the recycled fibres can be used to produce new high-quality and marketable products. Tests carried out up to now indicate that very good results can be expected for large-scale recycling of carbon fibres by means of pyrolysis. The waste pyrolysis plant (WPP) operated in Burgau is the only large-scale pyrolysis plant for municipal wastes in Germany. Use of this plant to treat CFRP wastes represents a unique opportunity for the whole Southern German economy and in particular the Augsburg economic region. In a study funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Health ('Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Gesundheit'), the specific implementation options for the recovery of carbon fibres from composites by means of large-scale pyrolysis have been under investigation since November 2010. To this end, in the first step a development study was carried out, which in particular examined the options for modifying the Burgau WPP for the recycling of CFRP. The knowledge acquired from the pyrolysis tests, the fibre tests and the economic feasibility study confirmed the positive assessment of the overall concept of CFRP recycling in Burgau. As an overall result, unlimited profitability was found for all scenarios with regard to investments in CFRP recycling in Burgau WPP. The work on the development study was carried out by bifa Umweltinstitut GmbH together with the Augsburg-based 'function integrated lightweight construction project group ('Funktionsintegrierter Leichtbau' - FIL) of the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT). Methods: analysis and moderation of social processes, economy and management consulting, process engineering
Sandy soils of the arid/semiarid dune fields of the Palestinian Gaza Strip and the Israeli western Negev are extensively covered by biological soil crusts (BSC), which stabilize the surface and prevent desertification. Political discussions in Israel suggest transferring a large part of this sand belt to the Gaza Strip within a final peace accord. Inappropriate land uses may lead to destruction of the BSC and initiate desertification, as already occurring in parts of the Gaza Strip. In this interdisciplinary project the influence of environmental factors on the vitality, stability and the recovery potential of the BSC will be investigated in order to evaluate the carrying capacity of this fragile landscape, in relation to rainfall, soil and relief conditions. A transect stretching from the Mediterranean coast in the Palestinian Gaza Strip (370 mm rainfall) to 65 km southwards in Israel ( Nizzana , less than 100 mm rainfall) has been selected. The interactions of molecular biological, physiological, physical and soil chemical processes, expressed in specific characteristics of the BSC and the underlying soil, will be assessed from the molecular to the landscape scale.
We consider clay minerals, iron oxides and charcoal as major components controlling the formation of interfaces relevant for sorption of organic chemicals, as they control the assemblage of organic matter and mineral particles. We studied the formation of interfaces in batch incubation experiments with inoculated artificial soils consisting of model compounds (clay minerals, iron oxide, char) and natural soil samples. Results show a relevant contribution of both iron oxides and clay minerals to the formation of organic matter as sorptive interfaces for hydrophobic compounds. Thus, we intend to focus our work in the second phase on the characterization of the interface as formed by organic matter associated with clay minerals and iron oxides. The interfaces will be characterized by the BET-N2 and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGME) methods and 129Xe and 13C NMR spectroscopy for determination of specific surface area, sorptive domains in the organic matter and microporosity. A major step forward is expected by the analysis of the composition of the interface at different resolution by reflected-light microscopy (mm scale), SEM (scanning electron microscopy, micrometer scale) and secondary ion mass spectrometry at the nanometer scale (nanoSIMS). The outcomes obtained in combination with findings from cooperation partners will help to unravel the contribution of different types of soil components on the formation and characteristics of the biogeochemical interfaces and their effect on organic chemical sorption.
The nature of the microbial communities inhabiting the deeper soil horizons is largely unknown. It is also not clear why subsurface microorganisms do not make faster use of organic compounds under field conditions. The answer could be provided by a reciprocal soil transfer experiment studying the response of transferred soils to fluctuations in microclimate, organic inputs, and soil biota. The subproject P9 will be responsible for the establishment of reciprocal transfer experiments offering a strong link between subgroups interested in organic matter quality, transport of organic substances, as well as functions of the soil microbial community. A single, high molecular weight substrate (13C labelled cellulose) will be applied at two different levels in the pre-experiment to understand the dose-dependent reaction of soil microorganisms in transferred surface and sub-soils. Uniformly 13C labelled beech roots - representing complex substrates - will be used for the main reciprocal soil transfer experiment. We hypothesize that transferring soil cores between subsoil and surface soil as well as addition of labelled cellulose or roots will allow us to evaluate the relative impact of surface/subsurface habitat conditions and resource availability on abundance, function, and diversity of the soil microbial community. The second objective of the subproject is to understand whether minerals buried within different soil compartments (topsoil vs. subsoil) in the field contribute to creation of hot spots of microbial abundance and activity within a period of two to five years. We hypothesize that soil microorganisms colonize organo-mineral complexes depending on their nutritional composition and substrate availability. The existence of micro-habitat specific microbial communities could be important for short term carbon storage (1 to 6 years). The third objective is to understand the biogeography and function of soil microorganisms in different subsoils. Parent material as well as mineral composition might control niche differentiation during soil development. Depending on size and interconnectedness of niches, colonization and survival of soil microbial communities might be different in soils derived from loess, sand, terra fusca, or sandstone. From the methodological point of view, our specific interest is to place community composition into context with soil microbial functions in subsoils. Our subgroup will be responsible for determining the abundance, diversity, und function of soil microorganisms (13C microbial biomass, 13C PLFA, enzyme activities, DNA extraction followed by quantitative PCR). Quantitative PCR will be used to estimate total abundances of bacteria, archaea and fungi as well as abundances of specific groups of bacteria at high taxonomic levels. We will apply taxa specific bacterial primers because classes or phyla might be differentiated into ecological categories on the basis of their life strategies.
The energetic efficiency of C4 photosynthesis is strongly affected by bundle sheath leakiness, which is commonly assessed with the 'linear version' of the Farquhar model of 13C discrimination, and leaf gas exchange and 13C composition data. But, the linear Farquhar model is a simplification of the full mechanistic theory of ? in C4 plants, potentially generating errors in the estimation of leakiness. In particular, post-photosynthetic C isotope fractionation could cause large errors, but has not been studied in any detail. The present project aims to improve the understanding of the ecological and developmental/physiological factors controlling discrimination and leakiness of the perennial grass Cleistogenes squarrosa. C. squarrosa is the most important member of the C4 community which has spread significantly in the Mongolia grasslands in the last decades. It has an unusually high and variable discrimination, which suggests very high (and potentially highly variable) leakiness. Specifically, we will conduct the first systematic study of respiratory 13C fractionation in light and dark at leaf- and stand-scale in this C4 species, and assess its effect on discrimination and estimates of leakiness. These experiments are conducted in specialized 13CO2/12CO2 gas exchange mesocosms using ecologically relevant scenarios, testing specific hypotheses on effects of environmental drivers and plant and leaf developmental stage on discrimination and leakiness.
Die Sea-Surface Microlayer (SML) als dünne Grenzschicht trennt Hydrosphäre und Atmosphäre. Häufig sind die Konzentrationen bestimmter Verbindungen in der SML höher, entweder durch physikalische Konzentration aus dem darunter liegenden Wasser, durch Produktion in der SML oder durch atmosphärische Ablagerungen. Ein bekannter Aspekt ist die durchweg höhere Konzentration von chromophoren gelösten organischen Stoffen (CDOM) in der SML im Vergleich zum darunter liegenden Wasser. Kürzlich haben wir gezeigt, dass die inhärenten optischen Eigenschaften (IOP) â€Ì d.h. die Lichtstreu- und Absorptionseigenschaften von Wasser und seinen Bestandteilen â€Ì der SML genutzt werden können Komponenten in der SML zu charakterisieren und nützliche Informationen für den Strahlungstransfer und für Fernerkundungsstudien zu liefern. Darüber hinaus war unsere frühere Forschung zu optischen Eigenschaften in der SML unsere Motivation hier vorzuschlagen, IOPs und apparente optischen Eigenschaften (AOPs) â€Ì abgeleitet aus spektralradiometrischen Messungen des Lichtfeldes â€Ì sowie die Fluoreszenz zur Charakterisierung von organischen Stoffen (OM) und deren Transformation für die Echtzeitbewertung der SML als biologischen und chemischen Lebensraum zu nutzen. Hiermit können wir in außergewöhnlicher Weise die Kurzzeitdynamik relevanter biologischer und chemischer Treiber in der SML untersuchen.
Organic matter (OM) composition and dynamic in subsoils is thought to be significantly different from those in surface soils. This has been suggested by increasing apparent 14C ages of bulk soil OM with depth suggesting that the amount of fresh, more easily degradable components is declining. Compositional changes have been inferred from declining ä13C values and C/N ratios indicative for stronger OM transformation. Beside these bulk OM data more specific results on OM composition and preservation mechanisms are very limited but modelling studies and results from incubation experiments suggest the presence and mineralization of younger, 'reactive carbon pool in subsoils. Less refractory OM components may be protected against degradation by interaction with soil mineral particles and within aggregates as suggested by the very limited number of more specific OM analysis e.g., identification of organic compound in soil fractions. The objective of this project is to characterize the composition, transformation, stabilization and bioavailability of OM in subsurface horizons on the molecular level: 1) major sources and compositional changes with depth will be identified by analysis of different lipid compound classes in surface and subsoil horizons, 2) the origin and stabilization of 'reactive OM will be revealed by lipid distributions and 14C values of soil fractions and of selected plant-specific lipids, and 3) organic substrates metabolized by microbial communities in subsoils are identified by distributional and 14C analysis of microbial membrane lipids. Besides detailed analyses of three soil profiles at the subsoil observatory site (Grinderwald), information on regional variability will be gained from analyses of soil profiles at sites with different parent material.
Changes in agroecosystem management (e.g. landscape diversity, management intensity) affect the natural control of pests. The effects of agricultural change on this ecosystem service, however, are not universal and the mechanisms affecting it remain to be understood. As biological control is effectively the product of networks of interactions between pests and their natural enemies, food web analysis provides a versatile tool to address this gap of knowledge. The proposed project will utilize a molecular food web approach and examine, for the first time, how changes in plant fertilisation and landscape complexity affect quantitative aphid-parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food webs on a species-specific level to unravel how changes in food web interactions affect parasitoid aphid control. Based on the fieldderived data, cage experiments will be conducted to assess how parasitoid diversity and identity affect parasitoid interactions and pest control, complementing the field results. The work proposed here will take research on parasitoid aphid control one step further, as it will provide a clearer understanding of how plant fertilization affects whole aphid-parasitoid food webs in both simple and complex landscapes, allowing for further improvements in natural pest control.
Comprehension of belowground competition between plant species is a central part in understanding the complex interactions in intercropped agricultural systems, between crops and weeds as well as in natural ecosystems. So far, no simple and rapid method for species discrimination of roots in the soil exists. We will be developing a method for root discrimination of various species based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)-Attenuated Total Reflexion (ATR) Spectroscopy and expanding its application to the field. The absorbance patterns of FTIR-ATR spectra represent the chemical sample composition like an individual fingerprint. By means of multivariate methods, spectra will be grouped according to spectral and chemical similarity in order to achieve species discrimination. We will investigate pea and oat roots as well as maize and barnyard grass roots using various cultivars/proveniences grown in the greenhouse. Pea and oat are recommendable species for intercropping to achieve superior grain and protein yields in an environmentally sustainable manner. To evaluate the effects of intercropping on root distribution in the field, root segments will be measured directly at the soil profile wall using a mobile FTIR spectrometer. By extracting the main root compounds (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates) and recording their FTIR-ATR spectra as references, we will elucidate the chemical basis of species-specific differences.
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