UA Ruhr Cluster of Excellence RESOLV Starts in the Year 2025
- UA Ruhr
- Research
In RESOLV, scientists from Ruhr University Bochum (RUB) and TU Dortmund University have been jointly researching the role of solvents in chemical reactions since 2012. In her keynote speech, RESOLV spokesperson Prof. Martina Havenith from RUB reported on the past year, which was largely characterized by the preparation of the new application and the preparations for the presentation of the Cluster of Excellence RESOLV at the review in Bonn. "In 13 brainstorming sessions over three years, we identified new scientific challenges that we can only address together as a strong team," reported Havenith. The results are expected to be announced on May 22. Both Prof. Manfred Bayer, Rector of TU Dortmund University, and Prof. Martin Paul, Rector of Ruhr University Bochum, highlighted the successes achieved at the two locations as well as the good cooperation between the two universities in the RESOLV Cluster of Excellence.
Technologies of the Future Shape the Present
"We are currently experiencing the two greatest technological transformations of the last 30 years," said guest of honour Dr. Alessandro Curioni, opening his lecture entitled "Technological convergence and its impact on science and society". He was referring to the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and advances in the field of quantum computing. AI has long since arrived at the heart of society and is rapidly changing the reality of our lives. At the same time, quantum computing has developed from a theoretical concept that was once only discussed at academic conferences into a dynamic field of research.
While its use has so far been limited to individual academic problems, quantum computing is expected to be able to solve problems much more effectively and quickly than current methods from 2030. Even highly complex systems will then be able to be modeled holistically. Curioni emphasized that industry and science should work together to leverage the synergies of these technologies in order to develop solutions for the major scientific and social challenges of our time.
In addition to physical and thermodynamic models and spectroscopic data, RESOLV will also increasingly rely on the use of AI in the future to take solvent research to a new level. Scientists in RESOLV have already used machine learning methods to determine intermolecular interaction potentials and for the design of reactions.
Prize for the best RESOLV promotion in 2024
Dr. Klaus Engel, member of the RUB University Council, has awarded the RESOLV doctoral prize for the year 2024. It went to Dr. Elie Benchimol, who completed his doctorate at TU Dortmund University in the working group of Prof. Guido Clever, for his research on solvent influences on chemical equilibria in self-assembling systems, as well as on complex cage structures and their transformations in networks with host-guest complexes. The dissertation opens up a new field of research on complex dynamic systems of self-organizing structures.
