There are various areas of application for nanoparticles - from electrical engineering and the medical industry to the use of the particles in cosmetic products. Especially in recent years, the use of the small particles has increased enormously. The difficulty, however, is that they often have to be present in larger structures with high surface areas in order to be highly active. Tailor-made structures in which several nanoparticles are combined can help here. In her doctoral thesis »Small molecule stabilization and spray drying of metal oxide nanoparticles« Zellmer investigated the entire process chain of hierarchical particle structures from synthesis, stabilization and functionalization to processing and application.

At the Fraunhofer IST Zellmer is applying her knowledge of nanoparticles in the field of novel energy storage systems. Since mid-2019 she has been head of the department »Process Technology and Production Engineering for Sustainable Energy Storage Systems«, which focuses on material and process development, life cycle management and the design of the factory system for the production of energy storage systems including hydrogen technologies.

About the prize

The Manfred Hirschvogel Prize is endowed with 5,000 euros and has been awarded annually by the Frank Hirschvogel Foundation since 2013 at all TU9 universities, the nine leading technical universities in Germany, for the previous year's best doctorate in mechanical engineering. The foundation was established in 2007 with the aim of focusing on the education and advancement of young people, thereby opening up new opportunities for them.