Environmental Technology & Catalysis

(Working Group Dr. Klaus Opwis)

In the field of environmental technology new kinds of ecologically motivated approaches are being developed for the design of functional textiles. Primarily, this involves replacing conventional chemical processes with alternative processes, including the use of enzymes, biopolymers or other renewable raw materials and/or establishing new kinds of processes in supercritical media or ionic liquids. In addition, key features of this area of research are the manufacture of catalytically effective textiles and the development of innovative, textile-based adsorber systems, e.g. for recovering valuable metals from industrial process water so as to make efficient use of resources.

Our main areas of research

•  Textile-fixed Catalysts: immobilization of enzymes and organocatalysts for improved syntheses and processes in the fine chemicals, pharmaceutical, food and textile technology segments.
• Innovative Adsorber Textiles for the Recovery of Valuable Metals and Environmental Protection*: efficient use of raw materials, recovery of secondary raw materials (“textile mining”), groundwater and soil decontamination
• Natural Flame Retardants for Textiles*: non-halogen finishings and coatings with phosphorus- and nitrogen-based renewable resources (e.g., phytic acid, chitosan, collagen or keratin
• Alternative Processes: use of enzymes, supercritical media and ionic liquids, biopolymers, polyactide fibers etc.
• Electrically conductive textiles: textile-based heating elements, solar cells, photovoltaics

*in close collaboration with the working group “Green Chemistry & Nanotechnology” (Dr. Thomas Mayer-Gall)

Head of Working Group

Dr. Klaus Opwis
Chemist
Phone: +49-2151-843-2014
e-Mail: opwis@dtnw.de

Scientific Staff WG Opwis

Olga Zilke
M. Sc., Ph.D. Student
Phone: +49-2151-843-2027
e-Mail: zilke@dtnw.de

Jessica Schneider
M. Sc., Ph.D. Student
Phone: +49-2151-843-2026
e-Mail: schneider@dtnw.de

Lab Staff WG Opwis

Dennis Plohl
Chemical Technician
Phone: +49-2151-843-2022
e-Mail: dennis.plohl@dtnw.de

Marcel Remek
Chemical Technician
Phone: +49-2151-843-2023
e-Mail: remek@dtnw.de

Bilal Celik
Chemical Technician
Phone: +49-2151-843-2023
e-Mail: celik@dtnw.de