Titanium of the elements
Titanium of the elements
Titanium of the elements
Chemist Rüdiger Beckhaus is fascinated by titanium and has exciting visions of what the metal could be used for in the future:
"The element titanium has been known since 1791, but its triumphant advance only began in the second half of the last century - thanks to a usable manufacturing process. The metal titanium is extremely durable and biocompatible. This results in a wide range of applications in the medicalfield, for example for implants or screw connections. The strength of titanium is equivalent to that of steel, although its significantly lower density makes it suitable for aerospace applications. As titanium metal is also extremely resistant to corrosion, prestigious buildings are sometimes almost completely clad in titanium metal - for example the Chinese National Opera in Beijing (China) or the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Spain). It is quite astonishing that in the world of metals, which has been shaped over thousands of years, there is a material such as the element titanium, which has only been available for a good 50 years, but which now characterises many areas of science and technology.
In the field of titanium compounds, titanium dioxide (TiO2) plays a key role as a white pigment that is characterised by its brilliant opacity and durability. At the same time, TiO2 is a key ingredient in numerous cosmetic products, particularly in sun protection creams. This ability of TiO2 to interact with UV radiation can also be utilised for chemical transformations, which are also being investigated by various groups at our university. Our group is interested in the organometallic chemistry of titanium in terms of coordination chemistry and catalytic aspects. Overall, the element titanium is one of the readily available elements that can be widely modified and, if optimised, can replace extremely expensive platinum metals and platinum metal compounds - that is our vision."