Research Units

Electrode materials define and limit the amount of energy that can be stored per weight and volume of a battery. Our goal is to identify, synthesize and test new high-capacity post-lithium storage materials and thereby gain an even deeper understanding of their functionality.

Electrolytes enable the transport of electrically charged particles (ions) between the two electrodes of a battery. The main objective is the identification, synthesis and testing of new, stable and highly efficient liquid or solid transfer systems for post-lithium-ions.

We aim to understand the formation and nature of interfaces that form within a post-Li battery - e.g. at the contact between electrode and liquid or solid electrolyte. Their microstructure and chemical composition have a decisive influence on the interface processes within the battery and thus determine, among other things, its performance and longevity.

Up-scaling of materials synthesis and cell construction, studies on the production capability of new technical approaches, assessment of cell safety and life cycle analyses of new technologies will pave the way for technology transfer. Central research data management and the development of automated data analysis tools will flank all work in the Cluster, set standards for the handling of research data and enable integrative, cross-research field data analysis, which we hope will lead to new insights in battery research.

In this research unit, innovative topics such as potassium batteries, organic redox systems, AI-supported virtual simulations or degradation are investigated. For this purpose, the competences from all other units are combined.