Prof. Dr. Wendelin Jan Stark
Prof. Dr. Wendelin Jan Stark
Full Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences
ETH Zürich
Wendelin Stark (1976) is Full Professor at the Institute for Chemical and Bioengineering of ETH Zurich and heads the chair in Functional Materials Engineering. He studied Chemistry at the ETH with a stay at the UC Berkeley in 1999 and pursued a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH. He spent his Sabbatical in Tokyo, at the RIKEN, and at the MIT, in Cambridge, MA, in 2011.
Research focus
Wendelin Stark’s research combines materials with specific functions for medical or industrial use. He has developed nanoparticles for environmental applications i.e. to increase energy efficiency in water and solvent purification, to enable large scale remediation or for more environment-friendly catalytic processes. He has pioneered inherent safety aspects in nanoparticle applications and toxicology during industrial product design.
Market effective research
Six companies have been co-founded by Wendelin Stark: FlamePowders AG made large scale oxide powders (stopped operation in 2006), external page Turbobeads GmbH makes magnetic chemicals (partially distributed by external page Sigma-Aldrich) and diagnostic reagents, external page nanograde AG provides over 1 Million different and customized nanoparticles, external page smartodont GmbH introduces bioactivity to polymer implants, and external page novamem GmbH produces ultrafiltration membranes for water purification and organic solvent nanofiltration. The youngest one, external page Haelixa GmbH uses a high-tech nanotechnology tracer technology developed at FML to provide solutions for industrial tracing, product authentication and liability management
Selection of Wendelin Stark's achievements
Industrial scale nanoparticle fabrication: From oxide to inorganic salts, glasses, biomaterials and metal nanoparticles
- Multicomponent oxide, salt and metal nanoparticles have become available through modified, scalable flame spray synthesis making classical commodities obtainable as nanoparticles external page [1], including nano-limestone, nano-gypsum, nano-salt external page [2] and nano-glass external page [3]. Making inverted flames running under oxygen deficient conditions, even metal nanoparticles became available as low cost commodity products external page [4]external page [5]external page [6].
- Bioactive glasses and amorphous calcium phosphates today provide a key tool for biomaterials development where the corresponding mineral nanoparticles convey bioactivity (tissue bonding) to virtually any medically useful polymer external page [7]external page [8].
Metal nanomagnets with a well-defined, covalently attached chemical surface now enable the use of “magnetic chemical reagents” as powerful tools for accelerating organic synthesis
- In medicine, chemically defined metal nanomagnets enable in vivo extraction of toxic intermediates or compounds out of living blood external page [9]external page [10].
- Magnetic catalysts (semi-heterogeneous) and magnetic EDTA for heavy metal removal from highly dilute concentrations.
- Magnetic carbon and ion exchange nanoparticles for ore refining in acidic environment
Pioneering research in nanotoxicology
- Wendelin Stark has developed method and risk evaluation concepts for safe nanoparticles since 2003 and identified key concepts in nanotox, such as the role of particle agglomeration, diffusion and sedimentation external page [11], solubility, and catalytic activity external page [12]. His group experimentally pioneered investigations on nanoparticles in wastewater treatment plants external page [13], exposure of human lung epithelial cells to engineered nanoparticles external page [14], and during municipal waste incineration at a 200’000 ton per year scale external page [15].
- Prof. Stark has assisted Swiss Government agencies in developing regulatory evaluation tools for nanoparticle containing products and served as the chairman of the 2nd International Conference in Nanotoxicology. His work has led to fundamental understanding on the behavior of nanoparticles in biological systems and the recognition that persistent nanoparticles should not be used in consumer goods external page [16].
Living materials combine classical polymers with microorganism and allow “on site” consumption and chemical production of compounds in consumer goods
- Controlled release has enabled fascinating applications in numerous fields. Living materials that include a microorganism as part of a composition, however can tackle even more complex functions, such as “eating” external page [17], or local production of antibiotics external page [18].
Organic Synthesis on graphene
- Wendelin Stark has introduced multi-step, covalent and pattern resolved chemical derivatisation of graphene as a basic tool to alter electrical conductivity and as a starting point for the preparation of 2D polymers external page [19]. Today, this covalent carbon-carbon link provides a chemical design element perpendicular to the graphene base plane and ultimately uses organic chemistry to allow an atom by atom design of function external page [20].
Selected Publications
Wendelin Stark has written over 170 papers and 20 patents. His work is well cited (over 1000 times per year, Thompson Scientific) and he is listed amongst the top 0.25% best cited scientists (all disciplines).
[1] Aerosol. Sci. Tech., 44(2), 161-72 (2010)
[2] Chem. Commun., 14, 1767-9 (2005)
[3] Chem. Commun., 13, 1384-6 (2006)
[4] J. Mater. Chem., 16, 1825-30 (2006)
[5] Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 46, 4909-12 (2007)
Featured in external page Nature Nanotechnology as a Research Highlight
[6] Adv. Mat., 20, 3044-3049 (2008)
[7] J. Mater. Chem., 17, 4072-8 (2007)
[8] Acta Biomater., 5(5), 1775-84 (2009)
[9] Small, 6(13), 1388-92 (2010)
Featured in external page Nature Nanotechnology as a Research Highlight
[10] Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 49(19), 9355-62 (2010)
[11] Environ. Sci. Technol., 39(23), 9370-76 (2005)
[12] Environ. Sci. Technol., 40 (14), 4374-81 (2006)
[13] Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008, 42, 5828–5833 (2008)
Featured in external page Nature Nanotechnology as a Research Highlight
[14] Environ. Sci. Technol., 41, 4084-9 (2007)
[15] Nat. Nanotech., 7, 520–524 (2012)
[16] Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 50(6), 1242-58 (2011)
[17] Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 109(1), 90-94 (2012)
Featured in external page Science as Editor's Choice
[18] Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 51(45), 11293 –11296 (2012)
Featured in external page Nature Chemistry as a Research Highlight
[19] Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 48(1), 224-7 (2009)
[20] Acc. Chem. Res., 46(10), 2297-2306 (2013)