The traditional subject of chemical research has been the isolated molecule, its synthesis, and its characterization. With today's modern, powerful methods these research activities now focus on highly specialized molecules and ambient conditions.
However, even the most detailed knowledge about structure and dynamics of an isolated molecule does not allow predictions about the properties of complex supramolecular manifestation of matter. Dynamics and organization of complex chemical systems beyond the isolated particle is therefore a most timely research objective and is at the center of the chemical research activities in Braunschweig. These activities aim at the characteristics and the interaction of particles in a complex chemical environment. Complexity occurs either as