Diffusion phenomena in metals and compounds including multi-principal element alloys and compositionally-complex alloys

The prime focus is on the development of tracer/interdiffusion couple method to determine composition-dependent tracer diffusion coefficients in multi-component alloys. Further directions are: Nanocrystalline and ultra-fine grained materials; Molecular dynamic simulations of diffusion phenomena; Anomalously fast ionic conductivity of grain boundaries in superionic oxide films; Correlation factors in impurity diffusion in ordered intermetallics

short circuit diffusion in metals and alloys

Fundamental problems of grain boundary diffusion and segregation in metallic materials, especially in bicrystals with perfectly characterized grain boundaries, are here in the focus. The diffusion (mainly radiotracer) investigations are used as source of unique information on structure and thermodynamic state of internal interfaces in materials and their evolution with stress and strain.

impact of deformation on diffusion processes in materials

I am primary interested in experimental studies of kinetic properties of metallic materials under extreme load conditions. The severe plastic deformation is used to produce ultra-fine grained state of materials. As a result, the so-called ultra-fast diffusion paths are created in the materials which are suggested to be responsible for the attractive properties and unique combinations of these properties in such materials.

thermodynamics of grain boundary segregation

diffusion phenomena in as-cast and deformed bulk metallic glasses

Main focus is on diffusion properties of shear bands in metallic glasses and their relation to thermodynamic and mechanical properties of the glasses

Impact of external fields (magnetic / elastic ) on diffusion; diffusion under plastic deformation

Academic Education

2011

Umhabilitation und Erteilung der Venia Legendi beim Institut für Materialphysik, Münster Universität

2006

Habilitation at Institute of Metal Physics (Kiev, Ukraine).

09.1981 – 06.1990

High education at the Department of Problems in Physics and Engineering, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (Dolgoprudny, Moscow region, Russia) (1987) Diploma thesis "Structural changes in metals introduced by a low-temperature hydrogen-helium plasma irradiation” (1990) PhD thesis "Computer Simulation of Texture Formation in Cubic Metals and Alloys under Rolling” and received doctors degree (Candidate of Sciences in Physics and Mathematics)

Positions

since 2008

permanent position at Institut für Materialphysik of the University of Münster as a head of isotope laboratory within the Professorship of Prof. Dr. Gerhard Wilde.

2000 – 2008

visiting scientist at the Institut für Materialphysik of the University of Münster

1998 – 2000

1998 AvH Fellow (1998-2000) at the Institut für Materialphysik of the University of Münster

1987 – 1998

(1987-1998) Work in the group of Prof. L.N. Larikov at IMPh,Kiev, Ukraine as Senior Research Scientist.

• Dissimilar Welding of Titanium - and Nickel Alloys with High Entropy Fillers (2026 – 2029)
  Individual Granted Project: DFG - Sachbeihilfe/Einzelförderung | Project Number: WI 1899/54-1

2025

• 1., XiZhang, Sergiy, V.Divinski, and Blazej, Grabowski. “Ab initio machine-learning unveils strong anharmonicity in non-Arrhenius self-diffusion of tungsten.” Nature Communications, № 16 (2025) 394. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-55759-w.
• Mohan Muralikrishna, G, Neelamegan, Esakkiraja, Kundin, J, Hisker, F, Berndt, J, Klemme, S, Belova, IV, Murch, GE, Paul, A, and Divinski, SV. “The impact of non-equilibrium vacancies on mobilities and Kirkendall porosity formation in diffusion couples: Experiments and theory for the Cu–Fe–Ni system as a case study.” Acta Materialia, № 292 (2025): 121035. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121035.
• Neelamegan, Esakkiraja, Berndt, J, Klemme, S, Wilde, G, Paul, A, and Divinski, SV. “Combined measurements of composition-dependent tracer-, impurity- and intrinsic diffusion coefficients and atomic correlation factors from a binary diffusion couple.” Acta Materialia, № 293 (2025): 121088. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121088.
• Esakkiraja, N., Berndt, J., Klemme, S., Wilde, G., Paul, A., and Divinski, S.V.. “Combined measurements of composition-dependent tracer-, impurity- and intrinsic diffusion coefficients and atomic correlation factors from a binary diffusion couple.” Acta Materialia, № 293 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121088.
• Zhang, H., Mohan, Muralikrishna G., Akbari, A., Rösner, H., Tyler, B.J., Divinski, S.V., and Wilde, G.. “Grain- and interphase boundary diffusion in eutectic AlCoCrFeNi2.1 compositionally complex alloy.” Acta Materialia, № 294 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.121082.
• Yadav, B., Mohan, Muralikrishna G., Vaidya, M., Wilde, G., and Divinski, S.V.. “Grain boundary diffusion in compositionally complex alloys: A comprehensive review.” International Materials Reviews (21), № 105 (2025): 1367–1395. doi: 10.1177/09506608251390882.
• Ding, H., Akbari, A., Chen, E., Rösner, H., Frolov, T., Divinski, S., Wilde, G., and Liebscher, C.H.. “Hierarchy of defects in near-Σ5 tilt grain boundaries in copper studied by length-scale bridging electron microscopy.” Acta Materialia, № 287 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.120778.
• Khademorezaian, S., da, Silva Pinto M.W., Peterlechner, M., Rösner, H., Divinski, S.V., Eusterholz, M., and Wilde, G.. “Investigating the impact of minor alloying on shear transformation zones and strain rate sensitivity in Pd-based bulk metallic glasses via nanoindentation, correlation symmetry analysis and atom probe tomography.” Journal of Alloys and Compounds, № 1037 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2025.182099.
• Tas, B., Gorfer, A., Petrishcheva, E., Wilde, G., Abart, R., and Divinski, S.. “Sodium diffusion in alkali feldspars: towards the impact of Al/Si ordering.” Philosophical Magazine (23), № 105 (2025): 1606–1621. doi: 10.1080/14786435.2025.2531527.
• Gong, Q., Jiang, H., Peterlechner, M., Divinski, S.V., and Wilde, G.. “Tellurium self-diffusion in crystalline Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change material.” Acta Materialia, № 289 (2025) doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2025.120929.
• Sankaran, S., Kumar, D., Bibhanshu, N., Bharadwaj, Dash B., Suwas, S., Peterlechner, M., Rösner, H., Divinski, S., Mayer, J., and Wilde, G.. “Thermal stability of microstructure and texture in an ultra-fine grained (UFG) Al–Mg–Sc–Zr alloy.” Philosophical Magazine (21), № 105 (2025): 1367–1395. doi: 10.1080/14786435.2025.2486591.

2024

• Sandipan, Sen, Xi, Zhang, Lukasz, Rogal, Juliana, Schell, Gerhard, Wilde, Blazej, Grabowski, and Sergiy, V.Divinski. “Sc diffusion in HCP high entropy alloys: Chemical complexity vs. atomic strains.” Scripta Materialia, № 242 (2024) 115917. doi: 10.1016/j.scriptamat.2023.115917.
• Sandipan, Sen, Marcel, Glienke, Bhawna, Yadav, Mayur, Vaidya, K., Gururaj, K.G., Pradeep, Lydia, Daum, Bengü, Tas, Lukasz, Rogal, Gerhard, Wilde, and Sergiy, V.Divinski. “Grain boundary self- and Mn impurity diffusion in equiatomic CoCrFeNi multi-principal element alloy.” Acta Materialia, № 264 (2024) 119588. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119588.
• B. Bian, G.Mohan Muralikrishna, S. Taheriniya, Sandipan Sen, Christoph Gammer, Ingo Steinbach, and Gerhard Wilde, Sergiy V. Divinski. “Coupling of alloy chemistry, diffusion and structure by grain boundary engineering in Ni-Cr-Fe.” Acta Materialia, № 264 (2024) 119602. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119602.
• G. Mohan Muralikrishna, Sandipan Sen, Sai Kumaran Ayyappan, S.Sankaran, K. Guruvidyathri, Juliana Schell, Lukasz Rogal, XiZhang, Joachim Mayer, Blazej Grabowski, and Gerhard Wilde, and Sergiy V. Divinski. “Microstructure stability and self-diffusion in the equiatomic HfScTiZr HCP multi-principal element alloy.” Journal of Alloys and Compounds, № 976 (2024) 173196. doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2023.173196.
• C., Aaron Rigoni, Evgeniy, Boltynjuk, Hendrik, Voigt, Harald, Rösner, Bonnie, Tyler, Horst, Hahn, Sergiy, V.Divinski, and Gerhard, Wilde. “Anomalous diffusion in thin-film Cu-Zr nanoglasses.” Acta Materialia, № 265 (2024) 119634. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2023.119634.
• Neelamegan, Esakkiraja, Aditya, Vishwakarma, Surendra, KMakineni, Vikram, Jayaram, Tilmann, Hickel, Sergiy, V.Divinski, and Aloke, Paul. “Diffusion-controlled growth and microstructural evolution between Pt and Pd containing B2-NiAl bondcoats and Ni-based single crystal superalloy.” Acta Materialia, № 265 (2024) 119687. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.119687.
• Khademorezaian, S., Tomut, M., Peterlechner, M., Pinto, M.da Silva, Rösner, H., Divinski, S., and Wilde, G.. “Extreme rejuvenation of a bulk metallic glass at the nanoscale by swift heavy ion irradiation.” Journal of Alloys and Compounds, № 980 (2024) 173571. doi: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2024.173571.
• Smekhova, A., Gaertner, D., Kuzmin, A., Buzanich, A.G., Schuck, G., Zizak, I., Wilde, G., Yusenko, K.V., and Divinski, S.. “Anomalies in the short-range local environment and atomic diffusion in single crystalline equiatomic CrMnFeCoNi high-entropy alloy.” Nano Research (6), № 17 (2024): 5336–5348. doi: 10.1007/s12274-024-6443-6.
• Esther, A.C.M., Muralikrishna, G.M., Chirumamilla, M., Pinto, M.d.S., Ostendorp, S., Peterlechner, M., Yu, Petrov A., Eich, M., Divinski, S.V., Hahn, H., and Wilde, G.. “Demystifying the Semiconductor-to-Metal Transition in Amorphous Vanadium Pentoxide: The Role of Substrate/Thin Film Interfaces.” Advanced Functional Materials (30), № 34 (2024) doi: 10.1002/adfm.202309544.
• Jiang, Y., Liu, Y., Zhou, H., Taheriniya, S., Bian, B., Rogal, L., Wang, J.T., Divinski, S., and Wilde, G.. “Diffusion in ultra-fine-grained CoCrFeNiMn high entropy alloy processed by equal-channel angular pressing.” Journal of Materials Science (14), № 59 (2024): 5805–5817. doi: 10.1007/s10853-024-09463-1.
• Taheriniya, S., Sonkusare, R., Boll, T., Divinski, S.V., Peterlechner, M., Rösner, H., and Wilde, G.. “Ferromagnetism in High Entropy Cantor alloy triggered and tuned by severe plastic deformation.” Acta Materialia, № 281 (2024) 120421. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120421.
• Sevlikar, S.V., Muralikrishna, G.M., Gaertner, D., Starikov, S., Brink, T., Scheiber, D., Smirnova, D., Irmer, D., Tas, B., Esin, V.A., Razumovskiy, V.I., Liebscher, C.H., Wilde, G., and Divinski, S.V.. “Grain boundary diffusion and segregation of Cr in Ni Σ11(1̄13)[110] bicrystals: Decoding the role of grain boundary defects.” Acta Materialia, № 278 (2024) 120229. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120229.
• Bian, B., Söltzer, L., Muralikrishna, G.M., Taheriniya, S., Sen, S., Hari, Kumar K.C., S., S., Wilde, G., and Divinski, S.V.. “Grain boundary diffusion in a compositionally complex alloy: Interplay of segregation, precipitation and interface structures in a Ni–Cr–Mo alloy.” Acta Materialia, № 269 (2024) 119803. doi: 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.119803.
• Choi, N., da, Silva Pinto M., Yang, S., Yu, J.H., Lee, J.S., Luckabauer, M., Wilde, G., and Divinski, S.V.. “Grain boundary diffusion in additively manufactured CoCrFeMnNi high-entropy alloys: Impact of non-equilibrium state, temperature and relaxation.” Acta Materialia, № 38 (2024) 102228. doi: 10.1016/j.mtla.2024.102228.