Research

The lithium-ion battery is currently the most important type of battery among the rechargeable high-performance batteries. While small lithium-ion batteries are already being used commercially in consumer electronics, electrical tools, hybrid vehicles, and electric cars, the commercial use of larger energy storage units is still in its early stages. The maximum storage capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries has, however, nearly been reached. In order to achieve advances in performance, it is therefore necessary to press ahead with the development of new storage material and approaches. New electrochemical pairings and new ideas for an even more compact design are needed to achieve another significant jump in energy density.

  • LI-Batteries
  • Post-LI-Batteries
  • Alternative Storage
  • Publications

Lithium-ion batteries

The lithium-ion battery is currently the most important type of battery among the rechargeable high-performance batteries. While small lithium-ion batteries are already being used commercially in consumer electronics, electrical tools, hybrid vehicles, and electric cars, the commercial use of larger energy storage units is still in its early stages. The maximum storage capacity of conventional lithium-ion batteries has, however, nearly been reached. In order to achieve advances in performance, it is therefore necessary to press ahead with the development of new storage material and approaches. New electrochemical pairings and new ideas for an even more compact design are needed to achieve another significant jump in energy density.

Post-lithium batteries

Lithium-ion and metal hydride batteries are established systems that are currently being successfully employed for energy storage in electrically powered applications. In order to make future devices safer, less expensive, more sustainable, and more powerful, global research is looking for alternatives to the current systems. Lithium is supposed to be replaced by other elements which can also make bidirectional batteries possible. In order to attain this goal it is necessary for us to develop anew all the components of the battery and to acquire an understanding of the electrochemical processes. Of the four new types of batteries that are currently the object of international research, which are based on using magnesium, sodium, chloride, or fluoride as the charge carriers, two (the chloride-ion and fluoride-ion batteries) were first presented by HIU. HIU developed the electrolyte that is currently the best for use in a magnesium battery; this has also made it possible to build the first reversibly working magnesium-sulfur cells with extended cycles. With the exception of the sodium-ion battery, all of these systems have the potential of achieving markedly higher energy storage densities than the present lithium-ion batteries. HIU has played a pioneering role in these new fields of research.

Alternative electrochemical storage and conversion devices

Fuel cells are among the enabling technologies toward a safe, reliable, and sustainable energy solution. Yet the lack of clean hydrogen sources and a sizable hydrogen infrastructure limits the fuel-cell applications today. Due to their elevated operating temperature, between 150°C and 180°C, high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) based on phosphoric acid doped polybenzimidazole (H3PO4/PBI) membranes can tolerate fuel contaminants such as carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) without considerable performance loss. These are typical byproducts of the steam reforming process, which produces hydrogen from hydrocarbon fuels such as methanol or natural gas. So it is an appealing concept to couple a HT-PEMFC stack directly with a fuel processor, which can be used as auxiliary power units (APUs). These APUs use the fossil fuel resources more efficiently and help reduce emission of CO2. This might also be a good strategy for the wide deployment of fuel cells before the hydrogen infrastructure is established. The fuel cell system’s efficiency can be further increased by reusing the exhaust heat produced during electrical power generation.
The slow oxygen reduction reaction in concentrated phosphoric acid remains a major technological challenge for future development of HT-PEMFCs. The slow reaction rate is believed to be related to strong adsorption of phosphoric acid species on the surface of the platinum catalyst. It is generally accepted that adsorption of molecular or anionic species from the concentrated phosphoric acid electrolyte hinders ORR by blocking active sites on the catalyst surface. To gain a better understanding of the adsorption mechanisms we conduct systematic studies employing various types of perfluoroalkylated derivatives of phosphoric acid. We evaluated these model electrolytes for their adsorption behavior and influence on ORR on a polycrystalline platinum surface.

2020
ORR and OER on Ni-modified Co3O4(111) Cathodes for Zn-Air Batteries - A Combined Surface Science and Electrochemical Model Study.
Behm, R. J.; Buchner, F.; Eckardt, M.; Böhler, T.; Kim, J.; Gerlach, J.; Schnaidt, J.
2020. ChemSusChem. doi:10.1002/cssc.202000503 
Influence of Additives on the Reversible Oxygen Reduction Reaction/Oxygen Evolution Reaction in the Mg²⁺‐Containing Ionic Liquid N ‐Butyl‐N ‐Methylpyrrolidinium Bis(Trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide.
Eckardt, M.; Alwast, D.; Schnaidt, J.; Behm, R. J.
2020. ChemSusChem, 13. doi:10.1002/cssc.202000672 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Controlled-Atmosphere Flame Fusion Growth of Nickel Poly-oriented Spherical Single Crystals—Unraveling Decades of Impossibility.
Esau, D.; Schuett, F. M.; Varvaris, K. L.; Björk, J.; Jacob, T.; Jerkiewicz, G.
2020. Electrocatalysis, 11 (1), 1–13. doi:10.1007/s12678-019-00575-w 
Magnesium Batteries: Research and Applications.
Fichtner, M., [Ed.].
2020. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge. doi:10.1039/9781788016407 
Microscopic Properties of Na and Li—A First Principle Study of Metal Battery Anode Materials.
Gaissmaier, D.; Borg, M.; Fantauzzi, D.; Jacob, T.
2020. ChemSusChem, 13 (4), 771–783. doi:10.1002/cssc.201902860 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Entropy Changes upon Double Layer Charging at a (111)-Textured Au Film in Pure 1-Butyl-1-Methylpyrrolidinium Bis[(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl]imide Ionic Liquid.
Lindner, J.; Weick, F.; Endres, F.; Schuster, R.
2020. The journal of physical chemistry <Washington, DC> / C, 124 (1), 693–700. doi:10.1021/acs.jpcc.9b09871 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Choosing the right carbon additive is of vital importance for high-performance Sb-based Na-ion batteries [in press].
Pfeifer, K.; Arnold, S.; Budak, Ö.; Luo, X.; Presser, V.; Ehrenberg, H.; Dsoke, S.
2020. Journal of materials chemistry / A. doi:10.1039/D0TA00254B Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Strain Dependence of Metal Anode Surface Properties [in press].
Stottmeister, D.; Groß, A.
2020. ChemSusChem, cssc.202000709. doi:10.1002/cssc.202000709 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Surface Science and Electrochemical Model Studies on the Interaction of Graphite and Li‐Containing Ionic Liquids.
Weber, I.; Kim, J.; Buchner, F.; Schnaidt, J.; Behm, R. J.
2020. ChemSusChem. doi:10.1002/cssc.202000495 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Mechanically Coupled Phase-Field Modeling of Microstructure Evolution in Sodium Ion Batteries Particles of NaₓFePO₄.
Zhang, T.; Kamlah, M.
2020. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 167 (2), Art. Nr.: 020508. doi:10.1149/1945-7111/ab645a Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
2019
Exploratory multi-criteria decision analysis of utility-scale battery storage technologies for multiple grid services based on life cycle approaches [in press].
Baumann, M.; Peters, J.; Weil, M.
2019. Energy technology, 1901019. doi:10.1002/ente.201901019 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Modeling the effective conductivity of the solid and the pore phase in granular materials using resistor networks.
Birkholz, O.; Gan, Y.; Kamlah, M.
2019. Powder technology, 351, 54–65. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2019.04.005 
Interaction between Li, Ultrathin Adsorbed Ionic Liquid Films, and CoO(111) Thin Films: A Model Study of the Solid|Electrolyte Interphase Formation.
Buchner, F.; Forster-Tonigold, K.; Kim, J.; Bansmann, J.; Groß, A.; Behm, R. J.
2019. Chemistry of materials, 31 (15), 5537–5549. doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b01253 
A Lithium‐Free Energy‐Storage Device Based on an Alkyne‐Substituted‐Porphyrin Complex.
Chen, Z.; Gao, P.; Wang, W.; Klyatskaya, S.; Zhao‐Karger, Z.; Wang, D.; Kübel, C.; Fuhr, O.; Fichtner, M.; Ruben, M.
2019. ChemSusChem, 12 (16), 3737–3741. doi:10.1002/CSSC.201901541 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Difference in Electrochemical Mechanism of SnO₂ Conversion in Lithium-Ion and Sodium-Ion Batteries: Combined in Operando and Ex Situ XAS Investigations.
Dixon, D.; Ávila, M.; Ehrenberg, H.; Bhaskar, A.
2019. ACS omega, 4 (6), 9731–9738. doi:10.1021/acsomega.9b00563 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Exploits, advances and challenges benefiting beyond Li-ion battery technologies.
El Kharbachi, A.; Zavorotynska, O.; Latroche, M.; Cuevas, F.; Yartys, V.; Fichtner, M.
2019. Journal of alloys and compounds, 817, Article no: 153261. doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2019.153261 
Influence of electric fields on metal self-diffusion barriers and its consequences on dendrite growth in batteries.
Jäckle, M.; Groß, A.
2019. The journal of chemical physics, 151 (23), Article no: 234707. doi:10.1063/1.5133429 
Surface chemistry and electrochemistry of an ionic liquid and lithium on Li₄Ti₅O₁₂(111) - A model study of the anode|electrolyte interface.
Kim, J.; Weber, I.; Buchner, F.; Schnaidt, J.; Behm, R. J.
2019. The journal of chemical physics, 151 (13), Article no: 134704. doi:10.1063/1.5119765 
Towards stable and efficient electrolytes for room-temperature rechargeable calcium batteries.
Li, Z.; Fuhr, O.; Fichtner, M.; Zhao-Karger, Z.
2019. Energy & environmental science, 12 (12), 3496–3501. doi:10.1039/c9ee01699f Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Hetero-layered MoS2/C composites enabling ultrafast and durable Na storage [in press].
Li, Z.; Liu, S.; Vinayan, B. P.; Zhao-Karger, Z.; Diemant, T.; Wang, K.; Behm, R. J.; Kübel, C.; Klingeler, R.; Fichtner, M.
2019. Energy storage materials. doi:10.1016/j.ensm.2019.05.042 
Direct Conversion of CO₂ to Multi-Layer Graphene using Cu–Pd Alloys.
Molina-Jirón, C.; Chellali, M. R.; Kumar, C. N. S.; Kübel, C.; Velasco, L.; Hahn, H.; Moreno-Pineda, E.; Ruben, M.
2019. ChemSusChem, 12 (15), 3509–3514. doi:10.1002/cssc.201901404 
NiTiOPO phosphate: Sodium insertion mechanism and electrochemical performance in sodium-ion batteries.
Nassiri, A.; Sabi, N.; Sarapulova, A.; Dahbi, M.; Indris, S.; Ehrenberg, H.; Saadoune, I.
2019. Journal of power sources, 418, 211–217. doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2019.02.038 
Interface in Solid-State Lithium Battery: Challenges, Progress, and Outlook.
Pervez, S. A.; Cambaz, M. A.; Thangadurai, V.; Fichtner, M.
2019. ACS applied materials & interfaces, 11 (25), 22029–22050. doi:10.1021/acsami.9b02675 
Can Metallic Sodium Electrodes Affect the Electrochemistry of Sodium‐Ion Batteries? Reactivity Issues and Perspectives.
Pfeifer, K.; Arnold, S.; Becherer, J.; Das, C.; Maibach, J.; Ehrenberg, H.; Dsoke, S.
2019. ChemSusChem, 12 (14), 3312–3319. doi:10.1002/cssc.201901056 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Electromigration in Lithium Whisker Formation Plays Insignificant Role during Electroplating.
Rulev, A. A.; Sergeev, A. V.; Yashina, L. V.; Jacob, T.; Itkis, D. M.
2019. ChemElectroChem, 6 (5), 1324–1328. doi:10.1002/celc.201801652 
Evidence of a Pseudo-Capacitive Behavior Combined with an Insertion/Extraction Reaction Upon Cycling of the Positive Electrode Material P2-Na x Co 0.9 Ti 0.1 O 2 for Sodium-ion Batteries.
Sabi, N.; Sarapulova, A.; Indris, S.; Dsoke, S.; Zhao, Z.; Dahbi, M.; Ehrenberg, H.; Saadoune, I.
2019. ChemElectroChem, 6 (3), 892–903. doi:10.1002/celc.201801870 
Role of conductivity on the electromigration-induced morphological evolution of inclusions in {110}-oriented single crystal metallic thin films.
Santoki, J.; Mukherjee, A.; Schneider, D.; Nestler, B.
2019. Journal of applied physics, 126 (16), Article No.165305. doi:10.1063/1.5119714 
A quasielastic and inelastic neutron scattering study of the alkaline and alkaline-earth borohydrides LiBH 4 and Mg(BH 4 ) 2 and the mixture LiBH 4 + Mg(BH 4 ) 2.
Silvi, L.; Zhao-Karger, Z.; Röhm, E.; Fichtner, M.; Petry, W.; Lohstroh, W.
2019. Physical chemistry, chemical physics, 21 (2), 718–728. doi:10.1039/c8cp04316g Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument 
Insights into the electrochemical processes of rechargeable magnesium–sulfur batteries with a new cathode design.
Vinayan, B. P.; Euchner, H.; Zhao-Karger, Z.; Cambaz, M. A.; Li, Z.; Diemant, T.; Behm, R. J.; Gross, A.; Fichtner, M.
2019. Journal of materials chemistry / A, 7 (44), 25490–25502. doi:10.1039/c9ta09155f 
MgScSe - A Magnesium Solid Ionic Conductor for All-Solid-State Mg Batteries?.
Wang, L.-P.; Zhao-Karger, Z.; Klein, F.; Chable, J.; Braun, T.; Schür, A. R.; Wang, C.-R.; Guo, Y.-G.; Fichtner, M.
2019. ChemSusChem, 12 (10), 2286–2293. doi:10.1002/cssc.201900225 
Beyond Intercalation Chemistry for Rechargeable Mg Batteries: A Short Review and Perspective.
Zhao-Karger, Z.; Fichtner, M.
2019. Frontiers in Chemistry, 6, Article: 656. doi:10.3389/fchem.2018.00656 Volltext Volltext der Publikation als PDF-Dokument