June 5th, 2023
Two million euros for research on organic electrode materials: Professor Birgit Esser receives Consolidator Grant. The chemist Prof. Birgit Esser from the Institute for Organic Chemistry II and New Materials at the University of Ulm has received a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) of two million euros for five years for her project “NanOBatt”. The researcher is also an associated research group leader at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU). Organic electrode materials (OEM) for next-generation batteries are to be researched with NanOBatt. The focus will be on improving OEM porosity, thereby facilitating ion diffusion. OEM have many advantages: they consist of widely available elements, are accessible with a low carbon footprint and can be easily recycled. The ERC Consolidator Grant aims to strengthen outstanding scientists in expanding their working groups and promote international visibility.
Glückwunsch an Prof. Birgit Esser @Besserchemistry: Die Chemikerin der #uulm erhält einen Consolidator Grant des @ERC_Research in Höhe von 2 Mio. Euro! ?Im Projekt ?NanOBatt?erforscht sie organische Elektrodenmaterialien für Batterien. https://t.co/6sy5PZbVlm *cl/?Eberhardt pic.twitter.com/zwVcIOETzr
— Universität Ulm (@uni_ulm) June 5, 2023
Be it smartphones or electric cars, wireless headphones or robotic lawn mowers: batteries are in many electrical devices. And the demand for it keeps increasing. New energy storage solutions are needed. With her NanoBatt project, Prof. Birgit Esser wants to research a fundamentally new concept for organic electrode materials. The chemist combines the necessary expertise in organic synthesis chemistry with know-how from the field of organic battery electrode materials in a unique way. With its holistic approach, Esser wants to close the gap between basic research and the application of organic materials.
Improve porosity of organic materials
“Compared to inorganic materials for batteries, the field of OEMs has been significantly less researched,” says Esser. The problem: Existing OEMs have poor porosity, which impedes the diffusion of counterions to electroactive sites or makes redox processes, i.e. the simultaneous loss or acceptance of electrons, irreversible. This severely limits their performance and applicability. In order to improve the porosity of the organic materials, Esser relies on so-called redox-active, conjugated nanohoops with NanOBatt. These are hoop-shaped molecules whose electrons do not stay at a fixed point but move within the hoop. “That could be an advantage and stabilize the charge,” explains the chemist. The aim of NanOBatt is to produce such nanohoops, the synthesis of which is sometimes very complex. The basis for this should be, for example, quinones or azines – chemicals that are currently obtained from crude oil. “In the long term, you can see whether you can use renewable raw materials for this,” says Esser. The challenge here is to store as much charge as possible on as few molecules as possible. Because: “Ideally, you want a battery that weighs as little as possible and has a lot of storage capacity,” says Esser. This is one of the reasons why high porosity is important: it enables thicker electrodes, which lead to higher capacitance – the prerequisite for less material on the charge collector.
In order to see whether the porosity improves, methods are also to be established in NanOBatt with which the effect can actually be measured in interaction with other materials in batteries. “The methods commonly used do not work in this context,” says Esser. Finally, selected, redox-active nanohoops will be investigated as OEM in alternative battery cell configurations: in sodium, aluminium, magnesium and purely organic batteries.
Prof. Birgit Esser moved from the University of Freiburg to the University of Ulm in 2022. Before that she did research at the University of Bonn and at MIT in the USA. Esser studied and received his doctorate in Heidelberg. It is a member of the POLiS cluster of excellence (Post Lithium Storage Cluster of Excellence), where scientists develop new battery materials and technology concepts for efficient and sustainable storage of electrical energy. Esser is also a member of the CELEST research platform and associated group leader at the Helmholtz Institute in Ulm.
About the ERC Consolidator Grant
ERC Consolidator Grants are aimed at excellent researchers in the consolidation phase. The funding is primarily intended to support them in expanding their independent working group and increasing their international visibility. Typically, promising scientists from all disciplines apply seven to twelve years after their doctorate. An international jury, advised by external experts, decides on the quality of the applications submitted. The selected researchers receive up to two million euros for five years for their projects. In 2022, 2222 applications were submitted. Of these, 321 researchers from 21 countries were selected for an ERC Consolidator Grant. The only criterion is the scientific excellence of the researchers and the proposed project.
Further Information:
Prof. Birgit Esser, Institute for Organic Chemistry II and New Materials, Email: birgit.esser@uni-ulm.de, Group Website: www.esserlab.com
Text and Media Contact:
Christine Liebhardt
Photos: Elvira Eberhardt
May 24th, 2023
The HIU put its own transmission electron microscope (TEM) into operation in May. These microscopes are typically used to image thin samples at very high resolution. An electron beam with a high acceleration voltage is focused onto the sample from above. A detector placed under the sample registers the transmitted electrons. From this, conclusions can be drawn about the interaction between the electrons and the sample. The researchers receive very local information about the material.
Dr. Simon Fleischmann and his research group “Electrochemical Interfaces in Nanoconfinement” are responsible for the new device. We ask him for device details.
Dr. Fleischmann, can you give us some technical data on the TEM at the HIU?
Dr. Fleischmann: The device is equipped with a so-called “high brightness” Schottky field emission cathode with an acceleration voltage of 200 kV. The emitted electrons have an energy of 200,000 eV with an energy resolution of 1 eV, i.e. the electron energy deviates by at most 1 eV. This enables a very high resolution of just over 1 angstrom, which roughly corresponds to the bond length of atoms, to be achieved. The microscope is also equipped with two large area detectors for energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and one detector for electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS).
Photo: New Transmission Electron Microscope at HIU.
How does the device help you in research?
Dr. Fleischmann: Many of our conventional examination methods give us statistical information about the entirety of a sample, but we do not know what the sample looks like at a specific point, for example. In contrast to this, the TEM can be used to obtain structural and chemical information with an extremely high spatial resolution; one can, so to speak, look at the local environment of individual atoms at a particularly interesting point on the sample. It should also be emphasized that the TEM can not only “image”, but also diffraction and spectroscopy can be carried out with a similar spatial resolution.
Scientists at HIU put a ? transmission electron microscope (#TEM) into operation. For technical data, check our interview with @SFleischmann_ whose group will train ? researchers working with the device. @KITKarlsruhe @CELEST_18 @ClusterPolis @uni_ulm https://t.co/c7T8qBi4rd
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) May 24, 2023
Which special materials (for which applications?) do you research with the TEM?
Dr. Fleischmann: We will mainly use the TEM for the investigation of novel electrode or solid electrolyte materials with unknown local structure as well as for interface characterization in electrochemical systems. A great deal of knowledge can be gained if, for example, one understands where and how ions or molecules are incorporated into a crystalline electrode material, or if one obtains highly localized information about interfaces and interphases that have arisen during electrochemical operation on electrode surfaces. So we are talking specifically about structure elucidation of materials with engineered crystal structure, e.g. my group’s “nanoconfinement materials”, solid electrolytes, and the exploration of interphases like the “solid electrolyte interphase” (SEI).
In these investigations, I would also like to highlight the specially purchased sample holders (so-called cryo holders), which “freeze” these highly sensitive and reactive samples with liquid nitrogen during the measurement. As a result, damage to the sample during measurement can be largely avoided and the original structure can be studied.
Photo: Inserting the TEM sample holder. This has a liquid nitrogen tank (“dewar”), which cools the sample during the measurement.
How important/complicated is the application software?
Dr. Fleischmann: The software is relatively complex precisely because of the diverse techniques that are possible with the TEM (“conventional” TEM, raster TEM, diffraction, spectroscopy, etc.). However, the user interface is designed quite intuitively and can be used well after instruction and training.
How much is a microscope worth? How long was the purchase planned? Dr. Fleischmann: With TEMs there are big price differences between the models, at the lower end it is a few hundred thousand euros, but at the upper end it can also be a few million euros. This mainly depends on the achievable measurement resolution, for which the “quality” of the emitted electrons (energy and energy range) and especially their focusing on the sample are decisive. The devices are also highly customizable in terms of equipment, you don’t buy them “off the peg”. That’s why I had to plan very carefully and weigh up which device with which equipment is suitable for our applications. Accordingly, the purchase took a lot of time, in total I was busy with the planning, ordering and assembly for about two years.
May 22nd, 2023
Dr Montaha Anjass, research group leader at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm and research associate in the POLiS Cluster of Excellence, was selected as a scholarship holder by the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation. She receives a monthly grant of 500 euros for one year.
After completing her bachelor’s degree at Birzeit University and subsequently working as a teaching assistant, the native Palestinian emigrated to Ulm in 2013. Since July 2020, Dr. Anjass a research group at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm, which focuses on the development of novel nanostructured materials and their use in application areas of global socio-economic relevance such as energy conversion/storage or catalysis.
Congrats! ? Dr. Montaha Anjass, Group Leader at HIU & research associate at @ClusterPolis was selected for a scholarship by the Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard-Foundation. Keep up the great work! @KITKarlsruhe @uni_ulm @CELEST_18 @DLR_en https://t.co/T9m2QE3grq pic.twitter.com/CxrdXVl7iq
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) May 22, 2023
The Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard Foundation was founded in 2004 and supports talented young female scientists with children to give them the freedom and mobility they need for a scientific career. Funds are made available to help relieve household chores and childcare.
Further Link:
https://cnv-stiftung.de/stipendiatinnen/stipendiatinnen-2023
April 27th, 2023
Once again, the Helmholtz Institute Ulm offered an individual program for the annual “Girls’Day” at the University of Ulm. This year, HIU organized the day together with the POLiS Cluster of Excellence. The day of action is intended to motivate girls and young women to take up technical and scientific professions. For the battery science institutes at Ulm University campus, it offers the opportunity to present career paths in typical “male professions” (chemistry, physics, mechanical engineering, etc.) to girls and young women.
Aufgepasst, Schülerinnen und Schüler: Noch bis 20. April könnt ihr euch für die Angebote des #GirlsDay und #BoysDay am 27. April an der #uulm, @UniklinikUlm und RKU anmelden. Alle Infos: https://t.co/4bxiCE9HyO *cl/Foto: Daniela Stang pic.twitter.com/lJVRjXw7W4
— Universität Ulm (@uni_ulm) April 17, 2023
Four schoolgirls visited the POLiS research laboratories at Lise-Meitner-Strasse in Ulm’s SciencePark. Doctoral student Monika Vogler showed the new MAP systems (“Materials Acceleration Platform”), in which battery materials are researched and optimized in high-throughput research using robotics.
The young people showed great interest and were able to ask Prof. Dr. Birgit Esser about career opportunities in battery research and science.
Weiterführende Links:
https://www.girls-day.de/
April 19th, 2023
Researchers from KIT and EnBW Show Lithium-Ion Sieve for Geothermal Brines: Geothermal technology not only enables sustainable supply of electricity and heat, but also regional lithium extraction. Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and EnBW have produced a lithium-ion sieve from a lithium-manganese oxide and used it to adsorb lithium from geothermal brines. In the future, the use of domestic lithium sources can help to meet the increasing demand for the light metal, which is indispensable as an energy storage material. The researchers reported in the Energy Advances journal. (DOI: 10.1039/d2ya00099g)
“Depending on geol. origin ♨️ geothermal brines contain 0.1-500 mg #lithium/liter,” says HIU scientist Prof. Ehrenberg. Li concentrations of up to 240 mg/l were measured in North German Basin & up to 200 mg in Upper Rhine Graben. @KITKarlsruhe @ClusterPolis https://t.co/FSnkKePBi0
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) April 24, 2023
A sustainable energy supply requires efficient energy storage. Lithium has become indispensable – the light metal is used in the batteries of many technical devices and vehicles, from smartphones and notebooks to EVs. In recent years, demand has risen sharply worldwide. Until now, Europe has been dependent on imports. However, there are also European lithium deposits, namely thermal waters at a depth of a few kilometers. They contain high concentrations of lithium ions. In this way, geothermal systems, which pump hot water from the depths, are not only usable for the sustainable supply of electricity and heat, but also for an environmentally friendly, regional lithium extraction.
High Lithium Concentrations in the North German Basin and in the Upper Rhine Graben
“Depending on their geological origin, geothermal brines contain between 0.1 and 500 milligrams of lithium per liter,” explains Professor Helmut Ehrenberg, head of KIT’s Institute for Applied Materials – Energy Storage Systems division (IAM-ESS). Lithium concentrations of up to 240 milligrams per liter were measured in the North German Basin, and up to 200 milligrams per liter in the Upper Rhine Graben. “However, the extraction of lithium from geothermal brines represents a major challenge because the lithium ions competed with many other ions,” Ehrenberg adds.
A promising way of extracting lithium from hot deep water is adsorption, i.e. the accumulation of lithium ions on the surface of porous solids. This requires suitable adsorbents that are not only lithium-selective, but can also be produced, used, and disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner. In addition, suitable desorption solutions are needed to release the lithium ions from the adsorbent again. Researchers from KIT’s IAM-ESS, together with the Research & Development department of EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG and scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) and Hydrosion GmbH, have built a lithium-ion sieve and tested it in the laboratory. They report on their findings in the Energy Advances journal. The editorial team added their publication to the “Energy Advances – 2022 Outstanding Papers” collection.
Lithium-Ion Sieve with a Special Crystal Structure
The lithium-ion sieve presented is based on a lithium-manganese oxide with a special spinel-type crystal structure. The researchers produced it using hydrothermal synthesis, in which substances crystallize from aqueous solutions at high temperatures and pressures. In laboratory tests, the research team used this substance to adsorb lithium ions from geothermal brine. The brine comes from the Bruchsal geothermal plant operated by EnBW; it is located between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg in the Upper Rhine Graben. There, the Research & Development department of EnBW is investigating lithium extraction from thermal water in various projects.
For the paper published in Energy Advances, the researchers tested various desorption solutions after the adsorption of lithium, with acetic acid yielding the best results in terms of lithium extraction and adsorbent preservation. However, with all tested desorption solutions, especially with acetic acid, the lithium-ion sieve was enriched with competing ions. This is due to the high mineral content of the brine in Bruchsal. Enrichment with competing ions can decrease the lithium adsorption capacity.
Future research now faces the challenges of further developing the lithium-ion sieve in such a way that it is easier to handle and its adsorption capacity is only slightly affected during the process, as well as achieving a scale-up of the process from laboratory to pilot phase. Then, lithium extraction from geothermal brines can support the development of a European lithium source in the future. (or)
About KIT
Being “The Research University in the Helmholtz Association”, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence.
Original Publication (Open Access)
Laura Herrmann, Helmut Ehrenberg, Magdalena Graczyk-Zajac, Elif Kaymakci, Thomas Kölbel, Lena Kölbel and Jens Tübke: Lithium recovery from geothermal brine – an investigation into the desorption of lithium ions using manganese oxide adsorbents. Energy Advances, 2022. DOI: 10.1039/d2ya00099g
Further Links
https://www.kit.edu/kit/pi_2023_028_energiespeichermaterialien-aus-heissem-tiefenwasser-lasst-sich-lithium-gewinnen.php
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2022/YA/D2YA00099G
https://www.materials.kit.edu/
https://www.energie.kit.edu/
April 18th, 2023
The Ulm Cluster of Excellence POLiS from the Helmholtz Institute Ulm presented itself together with the research platform CELEST from April 17th to 21st at a booth in the Baden-Württemberg area at this year’s Hanover Fair. The main themes of the fair this year are CO2-neutral production, energy management, AI and hydrogen.
Close collaboration and communication with long-standing industry partners of CELEST members enable rapid technology transfer of the innovative findings of CELEST members. Come visit our booth at @hannover_messe and meet our Technology Transfer Manager. pic.twitter.com/B5EyjkU3W6
— CELEST (@CELEST_18) April 20, 2023
With 250,000 visitors, the Hanover Fair (HM) is one of the world’s largest trade fairs dedicated to industrial development. It is organized by Deutsche Messe AG and takes place at the exhibition center in Hanover. 6,500 companies and organizations are exhibiting their products and developments there.
A little behind the scenes impression of an interview with Stephan Hensel and @MaxFichtner at @hannover_messe which will be released soon. Stay tuned for more information!@ClusterPolis @HelmholtzUlm @uni_ulm @KITKarlsruhe @CELEST_18 pic.twitter.com/AaeSQ7fkYF
— CELEST (@CELEST_18) April 18, 2023
Further Links:
https://www.hannovermesse.de/de/
April 17th, 2023
Due to the growing electric mobility, lithium-ion batteries (LIB) are produced on an ever larger scale, which leads to a large cost reduction and new possibilities for their use in energy storage at grid and/or household level. By 2040, the number of electric vehicles is expected to increase by two to three orders of magnitude and stationary storage can reach up to 1,300 GWh.
This raises concerns about the future and long-term availability and cost of critical raw materials (particularly cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium) used in LIB. Although LIBs are ideally suited for use in electromobility, Germany and Europe also need new, reliable, sustainable and cost-effective batteries for stationary storage. In such a scenario, sodium-ion batteries with aqueous electrolytes are an attractive alternative.
?? HIU coordinates @BMBF_Bund financed project “#NaSS” #aqueous #sodium #batteries ? for cost-effective & #sustainable stationary #storage ? Aiming at innovative #rechargeable aqu. Na-ion #cells @KITKarlsruhe @uni_ulm @fz_juelich @SCHOTT_AG @Qcells_EU https://t.co/IoBVKXOnso pic.twitter.com/oUbf80XHic
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) April 17, 2023
The Helmholtz Institute Ulm of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology coordinates the new research project “NaSS” (aqueous sodium batteries for cost-effective and sustainable stationary energy storage, FKZ 03XP0490), which is funded by the BMBF as part of the Battery 2020 Transfer program. The project aims to demonstrate a novel rechargeable aqueous Na-ion cell chemistry based on non-critical raw materials.
The holistic approach of the project includes the modelling, synthesis and characterization of new materials as well as their validation in prototype cells. In cooperation with the project partner Forschungszentrum Jülich, novel mixed-conducting electrode materials based on readily available metal components are being developed and tested. These will make it possible to take full advantage of the improved stability window of water-in-salt electrolytes, which are composed of non-fluorinated, inexpensive sodium salts. Finally, the acquired know-how will be used for the production of very thick electrodes with high surface capacity, which will be used in a small laboratory-scale demonstration prototype.
As a result of the project, in addition to the functioning Na-ion low-temperature battery, an industrializable, technological process chain from the material to the battery cell is to be developed together with the industry advisory board (Schott AG, BMZ GmbH and Hanwha Q CELLS GmbH) for an innovative and environmentally friendly stationary Energy storage “Made in Germany”.
April 11th, 2023
Lithium-ion Batteries: New Ecofriendly Process for Mass-manufacturing Nickel-rich Cathodes: The ZSW (Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg), a partner institute of HIU, produces water-based electrodes and cells on a pilot scale.
Today, all high-performance lithium-ion batteries are made of materials containing a high content of nickel in the cathode mass to increase energy density. The manufacturing process for such high-nickel materials requires toxic solvents and chemicals containing fluorine. Now the ZSW has come up with an ecofriendly, cost-effective alternative for mass-manufacturing cathodes. The Ulm-based researchers first replaced the toxic solvent NMP with water and also found fluorine-free binders. Then they produced nickel-rich cathodes with high specific energy and great longevity. This was done on pilot scale under factory-like conditions. The resulting electrodes were assembled into type 21700 round cells. Proven to retain 80 percent of their initial capacity after 1,000 charge/discharge cycles, they are suitable for use in battery vehicles.
HIU’s partner institute ZSW now produces water-based #electrodes and #cells on a pilot scale: #Lithium–#ion #batteries ? New eco-friendly process for mass-manufacturing nickel-rich #cathodes ? @KITKarlsruhe @CELEST_18 @ClusterPolis @EERA_SET https://t.co/mZwdOGeScf pic.twitter.com/pDh2MmQLbl
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) April 12, 2023
In recent years, there has been considerable progress on a laboratory scale in the water-based production of electrodes containing nickel-rich active materials. However, a proof of concept for mass manufacturing had yet to be put forward. ZSW has now demonstrated this process’s viability on a factory-like scale.
“Our work targets the improvement of electrodes production for lithium-ion batteries to and make it ecofriendly without compromising battery performance,” said Prof. Dr. Markus Hölzle, head of the Electrochemical Energy Technologies Division in Ulm. “Replacing toxic solvents and non-biodegradable fluorine-containing chemicals was instrumental to this end.”
A cost-effective process suitable for industrial use cases
In the course of this research effort, ZSW replaced the standard solvent NMP and the binder mixture PVDF with an aqueous formulation and a fluorine-free binder. This not only has positive ecological impacts; it also reduces the cost of producing cells. The ZSW researchers built on work they had done previously on a milliliter scale.
In an even more important achievement, they also managed to produce electrodes ranging up to some 100 meters in length. This is the first time this has been done. Pre-developed materials were used on a kilogram scale to this end. Also called a pilot scale, this is a key step in scaling-up processes from the milliliter scale in labs to large-scale use cases with magnitudes in cubic meters or tons. ZSW was also able to use the 100-meter electrode strips to produce cylindrical battery cells in 21700 format. For example, automaker Tesla uses this cell format in its Model 3 vehicle and such battery cells are also suitable for e-bikes or power-tools.
The batteries produced with this new process contain a highly active cathode material with 83 percent nickel by weight and with graphite on the opposite side – that is, the negative pole or anode. The cells were charged and discharged 1,000 times at 25 degrees Celsius before their energy content dipped below 80 percent. Expressed as driving distance, this would be at least 200,000 kilometers for the sizes of batteries typically installed in contemporary electric vehicles.
“We are significantly reducing the environmental footprint of lithium-ion batteries with our new production process,” adds Dr. Margret Wohlfarth-Mehrens, head of the Accumulators Materials Research department, which carried out this work. Dr. Margret Wohlfarth-Mehrens also heads a research group at HIU. “Water has been used as a solvent for anodes for many years, even on an industrial scale. Now we have succeeded in doing the same for the cathode materials. In addition to eliminating toxic solvents, water also enables the use of non-fluorinated binders, which greatly simplifies battery recycling.”
Lithium-ion batteries are the key enabler for the transition to e-mobility. Their performance hinges almost entirely on the materials used. To bring innovations to market, developments have to be ramped up from the laboratory to the pilot scale. Scientists use the term “pilot scale” to describe a process in which all steps meet the requirements of factory-like production. The work was carried out as part of the DigiBatt Pro 4.0 project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.
About ZSW
The Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) is one of the leading institutes for applied research in the areas of hydrogen, photovoltaics, renewable fuels, battery technology, fuel cells and energy system analysis. There are currently around 330 scientists, engineers and technicians employed at the three ZSW sites in Stuttgart, Ulm and Widderstall. In addition, there are 100 research and student assistants. The ZSW is a member of the Innovationsallianz Baden-Württemberg (innBW), a group of 12 non-university, applied research institutes.
Further information:
Photo: Battery prototypes produced by ZSW in 21700 format with aqueous-coated nickel-rich cathodes.
March 30th, 2023
Business representatives of a wide variety of industries are frequent guests at the HIU. Mostly it is about scientific projects and an exchange of information about electrochemical energy storage, batteries or new concepts for energy conversion and storage.
?Industry Perspectives for ?? Sodium-Ion #Batteries? Last week an @austria_in_de #Advantage #Austria delegation of business representatives visited HIU, ZSW and KIT ? We hope you enjoyed your #battery journey! @verbundag @KITKarlsruhe @WKOe @ClusterPolis @CELEST_18 pic.twitter.com/TcKhULxWoV
— Helmholtz Institute Ulm ???? (@HelmholtzUlm) April 3, 2023
On March 30th, 2023, around a dozen Austrian representatives visited the HIU to find out specifically about the current status of sodium-ion batteries. Dr. Dominic Bresser, Research group leader at HIU gave a lecture on the most diverse variations of battery chemistry: The scientist emphasized: “There is not just one type of sodium-ion battery. Just as there is no single cell chemistry for lithium-ion batteries.” According to Dr. Bresser have a wide variety of characteristics: Sodium-ion batteries consist largely of materials that are described as available, particularly inexpensive, powerful and at the same time durable. Therefore, these batteries are also considered sustainable. As early as this year, Dr. Bresser with an industrial ramp-up of sodium battery production.
The delegation was brought together by the innovation officer Franz Nickl from the commercial department of the Austrian Consulate General in Munich. The group had come together through “Advantage Austria”, the business development organization of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce. The delegation also visited the “E-Lab” of the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the “Batterietechnicum” of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). Both institutions are founding members of the HIU.
Further information:
Advantage Austria (Foreign trade organization of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce)
In the seminar at the Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), outstanding international battery researchers share their scientific findings and technological inventions with Ulm scientists and students. The seminar takes place every Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. during the lecture period.
13.04.2023
Dr. Nicolas Peter
Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Institut für Energie- und Klimaforschung (IEK), Wilhelm-Johnen-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany
15.05.2023
Dr. Yaolin Xu
Electrochemical Energy Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
17.05.2023
Prof. Dr. Sai Gautam Gopalakrishnan
Department of Material Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012
07.06.2023
Prof. Dr. Laurence J. Hardwick
Stephenson Institute for Renewable Energy, Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool, UK
21.06.2023
Dr. Irene Osada
Robert Bosch Power Tools GmbH, 70538 Stuttgart, Germany
22.06.2023
Prof. Dr. Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez
BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, 48940 Leioa, Spain
06.07.2023
Prof. Dr. Robert Dominko
National Institute of Chemistry, Ljubljana, Slovenia
26.07.2023
Dr. Ali Ahmadian
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute of Nanotechnology & Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
28.07.2023
Dr. María Arnaiz
Centre for Cooperative Research on Alternative Energies (CICenergiGUNE)
