Professor Peter J. Uggowitzer was never officially my mentor or supervisor -- neither during my studies nor in my former postdoc in Leoben. Yet, his presence and friendship over all these years have profoundly shaped both my personal and professional life. Through him, I learned not just metallurgy, but how to think metallurgy -- how … Continue reading The Spirit of Metallurgy at 75 Years Strong
The passing of Sir Peter Hirsch on September 12th 2025, marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in the story of metallurgy and materials science. Professor Hirsch, who escaped Nazi Germany as a child through the Kindertransport, went on to redefine how we see the inner world of metals. His pioneering use of transmission electron … Continue reading Farewell to Professor Peter Hirsch — A Giant in Metallurgy and a Gentle Soul
Our interview to the Brazilian newspaper "Jornal da USP" is now online! "Zip Phases," synthetic materials combining metallic and non-metallic chemical elements, could be used in the future in electronics, energy storage, superconductivity, and sensors. A new class of synthetic intermetallic materials, with unique atomic structures and physical properties offering high technological potential, has been … Continue reading “Zigzag Atoms: Scientists develop material with high technological potential” — The University of São Paulo
Five worlds are watching us tonight — and you can see them all with your own eyes. Look up. The Solar System is closer than you think. Tonight, you …Which Planets Can You See With the Naked Eye — and How to Find Them
Interesting media coverage of a Nature Nanotechnology paper drawing the attention of materials science community to the danger of AI-generated microscopy images. Time to rethink the whole concepts of University, Education & Science in a world dominated by AI and fast access to documented information? Yes! News coverage by Royal Society of Chemistry, by Katrina … Continue reading Materials scientists warn of threat posed by AI-generated experimental images
It started far beneath the southern sky,In Brazil, where questions first took flight.In Leoben’s halls the dream grew strong,And in Los Alamos — it found where it belonged. There atoms formed a pattern new,Two shapes, two souls — yet one clear view:One diamond-like, with perfect grace,One hexagonal — a mirrored face. With metal bonds and … Continue reading The Birth of the ZIP Phases
Our work on the discovery of the new Zigzag Intermetallic Phases (ZIP phases) has received an outstanding response from the scientific community on ResearchGate — it is currently featured as the most-read paper of the past 30 days! https://www.researchgate.net/journal/Advanced-Materials-1521-4095 The ZIP phases (short for zigzag intermetallic compounds) are a completely new family of materials with a remarkable feature … Continue reading Most-read paper at Advanced Materials
We are happy to share the discovery of the ZIP phases, a brand-new family of compounds that could mark a revolution in materials science. These materials reveal atomic structures unlike anything seen before, opening exciting opportunities for future research and applications. 📄 A New Family of Ternary Intermetallic Compounds with Dualistic Atomic Ordering – The … Continue reading A revolution in materials science
The final version of our manuscript “Is nitrogen doping of diamond-like carbon films a viable strategy for bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells?” is now available to download! We are investigating the corrosion response of diamond-like carbon coatings onto aluminium alloys under simulated proton exchange membrane fuel cells environment. In addition, we investigate … Continue reading Metal-carbon interfaces
Materials at Extremes 