Klaus Huber

Klaus Huber is a Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Paderborn in Germany. His research interests include polyelectrolytes, nucleation and growth of minerals, and the impact of macromolecular crowding on self-assembly and folding of biopolymers. Experimental expertise lies on light and small angle neutron and x-ray scattering.

The project analysed the collapse and aggregation of polyelectrolytes in aqueous solution and the formation of nanoparticles based on silica and amorphous calcium carbonate from supersaturated solution, with a focus on the modulation of these processes. Modulation was induced by suitable additives like metal cations and by the tuning of environmental conditions like temperature and salinity. In particular, metal cation-induced collapse and aggregation of polyelectrolytes with their high relevance for biomineralisation, were investigated by means of time-resolved scattering (TR) techniques such as TR-SAXS and TR-SANS and TR-light scattering.