DIN EN ISO 24181-1 (ISO 24181-1:2024), prEN ISO 24181-1:2025

Key Findings

• Establishes a standardized ICP-AES method for detecting Al, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Si impurities in individual rare earth metals and their oxides.
• Defines validated measurement ranges: 0.001–0.2 % (Mg, Al, Si, Ca) and 0.001–0.5 % (Fe).
• Ensures harmonization across German, European, and international standards, supporting traceability in rare earth supply chains.

Rare earth elements are critical in high-tech, energy, and defense applications, where material purity directly affects performance. This standard specifies the use of inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to quantify non-rare earth element impurities—magnesium, aluminium, silicon, calcium, and iron—in metals and oxides. It provides precise measurement ranges for each element, verified through interlaboratory testing, and aligns national (DIN), European (CEN/TC 472), and international (ISO/TC 298/WG 4) standardization efforts. By defining clear analytical procedures and limits, the document supports quality assurance, trade compliance, and innovation in sectors dependent on high-purity rare earth materials.

H. S. Santos, H. Nguyen, M. J. Bojdys, P. Esmaeili, J. A. Sirviö, P. Kinnunen, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2025, 27, 16671–16684. DOI: 10.1039/D5CP01372K

Key Findings

• Nitrate salts (NaNO₃, KNO₃) catalyze magnesite nucleation by lowering brucite dehydroxylation temperatures, stabilizing Mg²⁺–CO₃²⁻ ion pairs, and acting as structural templates.
• Water nanolayers, regenerated during brucite decomposition, serve as 2D diffusion pathways for carbonate ions, enabling crystallization below the salts’ melting points.
• Revised mechanism challenges previous phase-transfer and interfacial-diffusion models, emphasizing heterogeneous nucleation via nitrate salt templating.

The direct carbonation of magnesium-based feedstocks offers a permanent CO₂ storage pathway, but the slow crystallization of anhydrous MgCO₃ (magnesite) has limited its deployment. This study resolves long-standing discrepancies on the catalytic role of alkali nitrate salts in promoting MgCO₃ formation. Using a simplified wet-mixing preparation, in situ TG–DSC measurements, and structural characterization, the authors show that nitrate salts accelerate brucite (Mg(OH)₂) dehydroxylation, stabilize reactive ion pairs, and provide crystallographic nucleation sites due to symmetry matching with magnesite. The reaction proceeds through water-mediated carbonate ion diffusion rather than molten-salt phase transfer, enabling magnesite precipitation at ∼300 °C. These insights refine mechanistic models for salt-promoted carbonation, opening avenues for energy-efficient CO₂ mineralization and potential integration into low-carbon construction materials.

Bojdys,* M. J. Zenodo 2025. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14739257

Key Findings

• Self-driving labs speed R&D, reduce costs, ensure reproducibility, and address workforce gaps through AI-driven automation.
• FAIR data and modern IP frameworks empower academia-industry collaborations, accelerating lab-to-market journeys.
• Massive AI and HPC investments can revolutionize R&D if guided by ethical governance, open access, and sustainable principles.

Self-driving laboratories (SDLabs) represent a transformative approach to research and development (R&D), combining artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and digital tools to revolutionize workflows in deep-tech industries (e.g. materials, chemistry, biotechnology), and beyond. By automating experiments and decision-making processes, SDLabs enable faster and more efficient scientific discovery, reduce costs, and enhance reproducibility. This white paper explores SDLabs’ potential, from accelerating innovation to addressing sustainability challenges, while highlighting critical ethical, cultural, and technological considerations. Furthermore, it examines the role of AI in technology transfer, showcasing success stories and actionable strategies for leveraging these advancements across sectors.

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Political instability, funding freezes, and bureaucratic hurdles are threatening Germany’s position as a global leader in science and technology. This article explores how recent disruptions within the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are impacting transformative initiatives like T!Raum and DATI, and examines what’s at stake for Germany’s scientific future.

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Politische Instabilität, Finanzierungssperren und bürokratische Hürden bedrohen Deutschlands Position als globaler Vorreiter in Wissenschaft und Technologie. Dieser Artikel beleuchtet, wie jüngste Turbulenzen im Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) transformative Initiativen wie T!Raum und DATI beeinflussen und was dies für die Zukunft der Wissenschaft in Deutschland bedeutet.

Li,* G.; Liu, Y.; Schultz, T.; Exner, M.; Muydinov, R.; Wang, H.; Scheurell, K.; Huang, J.; Szymoniak, P.; Pinna, N.; Koch, N.; Adelhelm, P.; Bojdys,* M. J. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2024. DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400382 [OPEN ACCESS]

Innovative research has brought us closer to sustainable battery technology with a breakthrough in sulfur-based cathodes. Traditionally, lithium-ion batteries—central to electronics and electric vehicles—rely on scarce materials like cobalt. Sulfur offers a greener alternative due to its abundance and impressive theoretical capacity of 1675 mAh g^-1.

A major challenge with sulfur has been the “sulfur-shuttle” effect, where sulfur’s mobility leads to rapid battery degradation. However, a recent study introduces a novel solution: encapsulating sulfur within a microporous, imine-based polymer network directly on the current collector. This one-pot synthesis approach not only streamlines production but also significantly boosts battery performance.

This innovative cathode design enables selective electrolyte and Li-ion transport while robustly containing the sulfur, delivering high performance across discharge rates—from 1360 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C to 807 mAh g^-1 at 3 C. Advanced analysis through DFT calculations and operando Raman spectroscopy has shown that the polymer’s imine groups enhance polysulfide binding, effectively reducing degradation.

This breakthrough paves the way for sulfur-based cathodes to become a viable alternative to metal-based ones, marking a significant step toward greener, high-performance battery technologies. Keep an eye on this space—sulfur could be the future of batteries!

[Press-release] ICSMB “Revolutionary development in the field of battery technology through innovative sulphur cathodes”

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202400382

Emamverdi, F.; Huang, J.; Razavi, N. M.; Bojdys, M. J.; Foster, A. B.; Budd, P. M.; Schönhals, A. Macromolecules 2024. DOI: 10.1021/acs.macromol.3c02419

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking membrane technology by incorporating a novel covalent organic framework (COF), CPSF-EtO, into polymers with intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1), enhancing gas separation efficiency and membrane longevity. This innovative approach led to a significant 50% increase in carbon dioxide permeability and a 27% improvement in CO_2/N₂ selectivity, crucial for applications in carbon capture and natural gas purification. The addition of CPSF-EtO not only facilitates gas transport by creating additional free volume within the membrane but also counteracts the physical aging that typically diminishes membrane performance over time.

This advancement in membrane technology marks a significant leap forward, offering a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for gas separation processes, with promising implications for environmental protection and resource utilization.

Emamverdi, F.; Huang, J.; Szymoniak, P.; Bojdys, M. J.; Böhning, M.; Schönhals, A. Mater. Adv. 2024. DOI: 10.1039/d3ma01123b

Scientists have identified a glass transition in amorphous covalent organic frameworks (COFs), a finding that challenges the conventional understanding of these materials. The research focused on two novel phosphinine-based COFs, distinguished by methoxy (CPSF-MeO) and ethoxy (CPSF-EtO) groups, revealing significant differences in their thermal behavior and structure.

The analysis demonstrated that CPSF-EtO transitions into a glass state at a temperature approximately 100 K higher than CPSF-MeO, attributed to the different ways in which the molecular layers stack and interact. This behavior was confirmed through both calorimetry and dielectric measurements, suggesting that these amorphous COFs exhibit glass-like properties.

This breakthrough opens up new possibilities for the application of COFs in various technologies, including gas storage and separation, by harnessing their unique structural and thermal characteristics.