Brief résumé

Kenneth Heß studied Materials Science at TU Darmstadt (Germany), completing both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with strong academic results.

His Bachelor’s research, conducted in collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Germany), the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany) and the European XFEL (Hamburg, Germany), investigated how substrate properties influence the formation of amorphous solid water. He received a Materials Science Award in recognition of his excellent bachelor’s graduation.

During his Master’s studies, Kenneth broadened his expertise towards sol–gel chemistry, porous silica-based materials and environmental applications. His research project explored nanodiamond–silica core–shell particles for the removal of heavy-metal ions and dyes from water, while his Master’s Thesis focused on interstellar dust-grain analogues and their ice shells. 

Through these interdisciplinary projects, Kenneth has gained experience with various materials synthesis methods as well as a broad range of analytical techniques, including FTIR, Raman and UV–Vis spectroscopy, electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering and surface-area analysis.

Research at TU Wien

PhD project “Orthogonal Control of Network Connectivity, Bioactivity and Therapeutic-Ion Release in Polymer-Derived Silicon Oxycarbides”

At TU Wien, Kenneth investigates how structural disorder in polymer-derived ceramics can be harnessed to create next-generation bioactive materials. His work focuses on silicon oxycarbide-based systems that combine pronounced hydroxyapatite-forming ability with exceptional structural and thermal robustness, including resistance to devitrification at elevated temperatures.

At the heart of his research lies a fundamental question: Can network connectivity and bioactivity in silicon oxycarbide-based materials be decoupled and therefore optimized independently?

By addressing this question, Kenneth seeks to establish new design principles for bioactive ceramics whose biological performance and long-term structural stability can be tailored in an orthogonal and rational manner.