Zahn, Raphael, Dr.

Research

• Electrochemically active polyelectrolyte multilayers
• Interactions between polyelectrolytes and counterions
• Polyelectrolyte multilayers for biomedical and micromechanical applications

Previous Research Activities

• “Phase behavior, structural and dynamic properties of complex protein solutions”, soft matter physics, Fribourg University, Switzerland
• Master thesis “DNA-mediated fusion of phospholipid vesicles”, solid state physics, Lund University, Sweden

Education

• 8/2004 - 12/2006 Studies of physics at Augsburg University (Germany), Heidelberg University (Germany) and Lund University (Sweden)
• 10/2002 - 8/2004 Vordiplom in physics at Augsburg University, Germany
• 06/2002 Abitur at Rhababus-Maurus-Gymnasium in St. Ottilien, Germany

Professional Experience

• 07/2007 – 03/2008 Research assistant, soft matter physics, Fribourg University, Switzerland
• 03/2007 - 05/2007 Internship, Bosch Sensortec GmbH, Reutlingen, Germany
• 03/2006 - 12/2006 Master thesis, solid state physics, Lund University, Sweden

Publications

• Norovirus GII.4 Virus-like Particles Recognize Galactosylceramides in Domains of Planar Supported Lipid Bilayers
  M. Bally, G. E. Rydell, R. Zahn, W. Nasir, C. Eggeling, M. E. Breimer, L. Svensson, F. Höök, G. Larson
  Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2012, DOI: 10.1002/anie.201205972
• Effect of polyelectrolyte interdiffusion on the electron transport in redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, G. Coullerez, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 22, 11073 - 11078
• Nanoplasmonic sensing of metal-halide complex formation and the electric double layer capacitor
  A. Dahlin, R. Zahn, J. Vörös
  Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 2339-2351
• Ion-induced cell sheet detachment from standard cell culture surfaces coated with polyelectrolytes
  R. Zahn, E. Thomasson, O. Guillaume-Gentil, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  Biomaterials, 2012, 33(12), 3421-3427
• Layer-by-Layer From nanodroplets to continous films: how the morphology of polyelectrolyte multilayers depends on the dielectric permittivity and the surface charge of the supporting substrate
  R. Zahn, O. Guillaume-Gentil, S. Lindhoud, N. Graf, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 3861-3871
• Electrochemical crystallization of plasmonic nanostructures.
  A. Dahlin, T. Sannomiya, R. Zahn, G. Sotiriou, J. Vörös.
  Nano Letters, 2011, 11 (3), 1337-1343.
• Engineering the Extracellular Environment: Strategies for Building 2D and 3D Cellular Structures
  O. Guillame-Gentil, O. Semenov, A. Roca, T. Groth, R. Zahn, J. Vörös, M. Zenobi-Wong;
  Advanced Materials, 2010, 22(48):5443-5462
• Electrical micro current to prevent conditioning film and bacterial adhesion to urological stents
  M. Gabi, L. Hefermehl, D. Lukic, D. Eberli, R. Zahn, J. Vörös
  Urological Research, 2010, 39(2):81-88
• Swelling of electrochemically active polyelectrolyte multilayers (Review)
  R. Zahn, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 2010, 15, 427
• Ion and Solvent Exchange Processes in PGA/PAH Polyelectrolyte Multilayers Containing Ferrocyanide
  R. Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2010, 114(11), 3759-3768
• DNA-induced programmable fusion of phospholipid vesicles
  G. Stengel, R. Zahn, F. Höök
  J. Am. Chem. Soc, 2007, 129, 9584-9585

Oral Presentations

• The entropy of water in exponentially growing polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, K. Bickel, R. Schuster, F. Boulmedias, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  8^th International Symposium on Polyelectrolytes,
  09.07.-12.07.2012, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Electron transport in redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, G. Coullerez, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  7^th MRC Graduate Symposium,
  07.06.2012, Zurich, Switzerland
• Redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers: all about ion-exchange and entropy of water
  R. Zahn, K. Bickel, R. Schuster, F. Boulmedias, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  Swiss Soft Days, 7^th Workshop,
  14.02.2012, Lausanne, Switzerland
• Microcalorimetric studies on ion and water exchange in redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, K. Bickel, R. Schuster, F. Boulmedias, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  242^nd American Chemical Society National Meeting,
  28.08.-01.09.2011, Denver, USA
• Morphology of polyelectrolyte multilayer films: influence of the physico-chemical properties of the supporting substrate
  R. Zahn, O. Guillaume-Gentil, N. Graf, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  8^th International Symposium on Polyelectrolytes,
  14.-16.11.2010, Shanghai, China
• Puffing up polymers: Ion and solvent excahnge upon redox processes in ferrocyanide containing polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  56^th AVS Conference,
  08.-13.11.2009, San Jose, USA
• Puffing up polymers: Ion and solvent excahnge upon redox processes in ferrocyanide containing polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  23^rd Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society,
  06.-11.09.2009, Antalya, Turkey

Poster Presentations

• Ion-induced cell sheet detachement from standard cell culture surfaces coated with polyelectrolytes
  R. Zahn, E. Thomasson, O. Guillaume-Gentil, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  PhysCell 2012,
  02.-09.09.2012, Hyères, France
• Ion-responsive polyelectrolyte surfaces for cell sheet engineering
  R. Zahn, E. Thomasson, O. Guillaume-Gentil, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  Swiss Soft Days, 8^th Workshop,
  01.06.2012, Geneva, Switzerland
• Determining the entropy of water in electrochemically swellable polyelectrolyte multilayers by combining electrochemical QCM-D with electrochemical microcalorimetry
  R. Zahn, K. Bickel, R. Schuster, F. Boulmedias, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  Q-sense user meeting,
  13.-14. 11. 2011, Bensheim, Germany
  This poster received the "Poster Award 2011"
• Counterion dependent swelling of redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R. Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli
  Swiss Soft Days, Third Workshop,
  20.10.2010, Fribourg, Switzerland
• Redox-active polyelectrolyte multilayers for biomedical applications
  R. Zahn, E. Thomasson, O. Guillaume-Gentil, J. Vörös, T. Zambelli
  Third International NanoBio Conference,
  24-27.08.2010, Zürich, Switzerland
• Puffing up polymers: Ion and solvent excahnge upon redox processes in ferrocyanide containing polyelectrolyte multilayers
  R.Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli,
  23^rd Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society,
  06.-11.09.2009, Antalya, Turkey
• Ion and solvent exchange in polyelectrolyte multilayers containing ferrocyanide
  R.Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli,
  MRC Graduate Symposium,
  10.06.2009, Zürich, Switzerland
• Puffing up polymers: From basic understanding towards first biomedical applications
  R.Zahn, F. Boulmedais, J. Vörös, P. Schaaf, T. Zambelli,
  8^th Q-sense user meeting,
  24.-25.02.2009, Gothenburg, Sweden
• Electroactive Polyelectrolyte Multilayers
  D. Grieshaber, R.Zahn, J. Vörös, V. Ball, T. Zambelli, P. Schaaf, J.C. Voegel, F. Boulmedais,
  Joining Forces: Sensing and Manipulating in Live Cells,
  07.11.2008, Zürich, Switzerland
• Electroactive Polyelectrolyte Multilayers
  R. Zahn D. Grieshaber, J. Vörös, V. Ball, T. Zambelli, P. Schaaf, J.C. Voegel, F. Boulmedais,
  SBE's 4^th International Conference on Bioengineering and Nanotechnology,
  22.-24.07.2008, Dublin, Ireland
• Swelling and contraction of ferrocyanide containing polyelectrolyte multilayers upon application of a potential
  R. Zahn, D. Grieshaber, J. Vörös, V. Ball, T. Zambelli, P. Schaaf, J.C. Voegel, F. Boulmedais,
  Polyelectrolytes 2008,
  16.-19.06.2008, Coimbra, Portugal