"Matter does not matter, morphology is everything."

Heiner Friedrich is a materials chemist with expertise in synthesis and assembly of functional hierarchical materials and their analysis by advanced 2D and 3D electron microscopy techniques. This includes materials from anisometric colloids and quantification of their time–dependent multiscale morphology by image analysis, to the development of smart low-dose (S)TEM acquisition schemes to advance soft matter science in solution environments. His work provides new insights in the different stages of liquid phase assembly processes to steer molecular and/or colloidal self-organization and mineralization. The goal of his research is to enable a rational design and sustainable manufacture of hybrid materials with complex multiscale morphologies for applications in the energy and health care sectors. 

Heiner Friedrich studied Physics at the Technische Universität Dresden (Germany) where he obtained his master's degree in 2001 with a specialization in particle and wave optics under supervision of Prof. Hannes Lichte. From 2002 - 2005 he was an Assistant Research Professional developing electron tomography for materials science at the John M. Cowley Center for High Resolution Electron Microscopy of Arizona State University (USA). From 2005 – 2009 he performed PhD research at Utrecht University (The Netherlands) where he graduated cum laude in 2009 on his thesis 'Quantitative Electron Tomography for Nanostructured Materials' under supervision of professors Krijn P. de Jong and Arie J. Verkleij. In 2009 he moved to Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) as a postdoctoral researcher in the Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry while being until 2011 a part time junior Assistant Professor at the Inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis group of Utrecht University. Since 2011 he is a full time assistant professor (tenured in 2014) within the same group at TU/e.

• Institute for Complex Molecular Systems (ICMS) TU/e
• European, Dutch and German Microscopy societies

Partners in (semi-)industry

• DSM
• AkzoNobel
• Unilever