After giving a soundbite presentation, I got in touch with former ARC CBBC postdoc researcher Tom Welling and visiting researcher Kanako Watanabe that have already been working on the topic of rattle particles, particles where the core can move freely within a larger shell, for several years. This started out by exchanging some information about the synthesis protocol that I was using and at some point, a different core material was suggested. However, when this procedure was done in Utrecht and Japan the outcomes were very different. After exchanging some ideas, we were able to set up a small research visit enabling me to go to Tohoku university in Sendai, Japan, to compare how this synthesis was done as well as to learn the standard way they used synthesize the rattle particles.
Once there, I was greeted by a very different culture and work atmosphere. As an engineering group they tend to focus more on techniques that are easily scalable and that do not require too many sequential steps. The group itself was also very different from what I am used to, with many more bachelor and master students than PhD candidates & staff, and the entire group was mixed in 2 big offices. After each lunch there were some announcements like the fact that there would be a relay race in the weekend and that they would go for a small run as practice at 4:00, and someone would volunteer to close the lab at the end of the day. I felt fortunate to be welcomed into the group so quickly and was able to join many of these activities during the two weeks I spent there.
There was, of course, also a lot of science. We discovered why the synthesis gave such different results in Utrecht and Japan, marking the first important finding of the trip, giving us an extra parameter to help fine-tune the synthesis for the intended application. This was useful for everyone involved as I aimed to make the particles smaller while they aimed to make them bigger. I was learned their procedure for making the rattle particles, and this added variety may prove to be valuable for future applications.
I am grateful for this opportunity, and it turned out to be both a productive and highly informative visit.
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