HZB re-certified as a compatibility-friendly company again
The new audit logo for long-time certified companies © berufundfamilie Service GmbH
HZB has been certified as a family-friendly employer since 2011. Now the research centre has successfully completed the re-auditing process and developed further measures to promote a life phase conscious working culture. The certificate is considered a seal of quality for the company's compatibility policy and is awarded by the board of trustees of berufundfamilie Service GmbH.
In autumn 2020, HZB conducted an employee survey which showed that most employees are aware of and appreciate the numerous options HZB offers: flexible working hours, mobile working, part-time models, advice and practical help for employees with care responsibilities or small children.
At the same time, the survey made it clear that the needs of many employees in terms of compatibility have increased - not only, but also because of Corona. The need for support, especially for people with family responsibilities, has increased in the past year. Anja Seehrich, who heads the Office for Work and Life (OWL) at HZB, has also noticed this in her consultations. "Most are glad to work at HZB because they can count on a lot of understanding and practical support here."
Over the next three years, HZB will establish further measures that employees and managers worked out together. These include, among other things, reviewing the existing rules on home office, management guidelines and raising awareness of mental and physical diseases.
- MXene for energy storage: More versatile than expectedMXene materials are promising candidates for a new energy storage technology. However, the processes by which the charge storage takes place were not yet fully understood. A team at HZB has examined, for the first time, individual MXene flakes to explore these processes in detail. Using the in situ Scanning transmission X-ray microscope 'MYSTIIC' at BESSY II, the scientists mapped the chemical states of Titanium atoms on the MXene flake surfaces. The results revealed two distinct redox reactions, depending on the electrolyte. This lays the groundwork for understanding charge transfer processes at the nanoscale and provides a basis for future research aimed at optimising pseudocapacitive energy storage devices.
- Compact electron accelerator for treating PFAS-contaminated waterSo-called forever chemicals or PFAS compounds are a growing environmental problem. An innovative approach to treating PFAS-contaminated water and soil now comes from accelerator physics: high-energy electrons can break down PFAS molecules into harmless components through a process called radiolysis. A recent study published in PLOS One shows that an accelerator developed at HZB, based on a SRF photoinjector, can provide the necessary electron beam.
- Bright prospects for tin perovskite solar cellsPerovskite solar cells are widely regarded as the next generation photovoltaic technology. However, they are not yet stable enough in the long term for widespread commercial use. One reason for this is migrating ions, which cause degradation of the semiconducting material over time. A team from HZB and the University of Potsdam has now investigated the ion density in four different, widely used perovskite compounds and discovered significant differences. Tin perovskite semiconductors produced with an alternative solvent had a particular low ion density — only one tenth that of lead perovskite semiconductors. This suggests that tin-based perovskites could be used to make solar cells that are not only really environmentally friendly but also very stable.