Energy Materials

The Research Department Energy Materials explores electrochemical materials for sustainable energy storage, innovative water technologies, and eco-friendly recycling solutions.

The Research Department Energy Materials develops materials that can effectively transport and store ions and electrical charges across several length scales. We develop materials that can effectively transport and store ions and electrical charges across several length scales o. Important electrode materials are nanoporous carbons, oxides, carbides, and sulfides, and their hybrids. A key feature is our streamlined workflow from material synthesis, comprehensive structural and chemical material characterization, electrochemical benchmarking, and complementary in situ analysis.

A particular focus is on 2D materials, especially MXene and MBene, to enable rapid charge/discharge supercapacitors and next-next-generation sodium- and lithium-ion batteries. The reversible uptake and controlled release of ions also enables the desalination of seawater and ion separation to separate pollutants such as lead or recover valuable materials such as lithium.

We use various characterization methods, including in situ, for a comprehensive mechanistic understanding. In addition, we are increasingly using digital methods for predictive materials research and digital twinning of battery research. Our collaborations include international basic research as well as industrial projects.

Prof. Dr. Volker Presser
Head of Energy Materials

Kontakt

Deputy Group Leader
M.Sc. Jean Gustavo de Andrade Ruthes
Doctoral Student
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-218
Laboratory Safety Officer
M.Sc. Zeyu Fu
Technician
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-368
Secretary
Sylvia de Graaf
Secretary
Phone: +49 (0)681-9300-501
Team Members
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Research

Material synthesis

Our team specializes in developing, analyzing, and applying electrochemically active materials and interfaces, focusing on integrating electrochemical activity with electrical conductivity through advanced hybrid materials. We utilize techniques such as sol-gel processes, atomic layer deposition, and electrospinning, supported by comprehensive characterization tools like electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and spectroscopy. We extend our work to in situ and in operando methods to deepen our understanding of these materials. Our expertise encompasses a wide array of materials, including carbon and 2D materials like carbon onions and MXene, as well as diverse metal oxides and conversion materials.

Energy storage

Electrochemical energy storage is at the core of sustainable technologies to store, convert, and recover energy. Our research team explores next-generation electrode materials for Sodium- and Lithium-ion batteries, advanced supercapacitors, and novel hybrid systems. A particular focus is on next-next generation electrode materials, including MXene, high-entropy materials, and nanoscaled hybrid materials. We capitalize on an array of synthesis and characterization methods to employ intercalation, conversion reactions, and alloying reactions for boosting the charge storage capacity and charge/discharge rates. Digitalization, digital twinning, and modelling of energy materials and electrode fabrication complements our research portfolio, including basic research and industrial partnerships.

Water technologies

Energy materials are not just prime candidates for electrochemical energy storage but also are gateways to novel water technologies. Via processes much like for batteries and supercapacitors, that is, redox processes (ion intercalation, alloying and conversion reactions) and ion electrosorption, we can manage the flow of ions. We can selectively immobilize and extract specific ions and drive that process not by high pressure or membrane filtration, but by electrochemical processes and ion selective materials. Our key research activities include general seawater desalination, Lithium-ion extraction, and heavy metal ion removal. Our vision is to have electrochemical processes for an array of elements and compounds for energy-efficient deionization toward circular material use, local elemental harvesting, and pollutant removal.

Publications

Reduced Faradaic Contributions and Fast Charging of Nanoporous Carbon Electrodes in a Concentrated Sodium Nitrate Aqueous Electrolyte for Supercapacitors

Abbas, Qamar | Gollas, Bernhard | Presser, Volker

Energy Technology , 2019, 7 (9), 1900430.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ente.201900430

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Comparing pore structure models of nanoporous carbons obtained from small angle X-ray scattering and gas adsorption

Prehal, Christian | Grätz, S. | Krüner, Benjamin | Thommes, Matthias | Borchardt, Lars | Presser, Volker | Paris, Oskar

Carbon , 2019, 152 416-423.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622319305640

Understanding Interlayer Deprotonation of Hydrogen Titanium Oxide for High-Power Electrochemical Energy Storage

Fleischmann, Simon | Pfeifer, Kristina | Widmaier, Mathias | Shim, Hwirim | Budak, Öznil | Presser, Volker

ACS Applied Energy Materials , 2019, 2 (5), 3633-3641.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaem.9b00363

High Electrochemical Seawater Desalination Performance Enabled by an Iodide Redox Electrolyte Paired with a Sodium Superionic Conductor

Lee, Juhan | Srimuk, Pattarachai | Aslan, Mesut | Zornitta, Rafael L. | Mehdi, B. Layla | Presser, Volker

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering , 2019, 7 (11), 10132-10142.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b01704

Nanosized titanium niobium oxide/carbon electrodes for lithium-ion energy storage applications

Shim, Hwirim | Lim, Eunho | Fleischmann, Simon | Quade, Antje | Tolosa, Aura | Presser, Volker

Sustainable Energy & Fuels , 2019, 3 1776–1789.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C9SE00166B

Low voltage operation of a silver/silver chloride battery with high desalination capacity in seawater

Srimuk, Pattarachai | Husmann, Samantha | Presser, Volker

RSC Advances , 2019, 9 (26), 14849-14858.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C9RA02570G

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Sodium ion removal by hydrated vanadyl phosphate for electrochemical water desalination

Lee, Juhan | Srimuk, Pattarachai | Zwingelstein, Rose | Zornitta, Rafael Linzmeyer | Choi, Jaehoon | Kim, Choonsoo | Presser, Volker

Journal of Materials Chemistry A , 2019, 7 (8), 4175-4184.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C8TA10087J

Redox-electrolytes for non-flow electrochemical energy storage: A critical review and best practice

Lee, Juhan | Srimuk, Pattarachai | Fleischmann, Simon | Su, Xiao | Hatton, T. Alan | Presser, Volker

Progress in Materials Science , 2018, 101 46-89.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0079642518301051

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Vanadium (III) Oxide/Carbon Core/Shell Hybrids as an Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Budak, Öznil | Srimuk, Pattarachai | Tolosa, Aura | Fleischmann, Simon | Lee, Juhan | Hieke, Stefan W. | Frank, Anna | Scheu, Christina | Presser, Volker

Batteries & Supercaps , 2018, 2 74-82.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/batt.201800115

In Situ Tracking of Partial Sodium Desolvation of Materials with Capacitive, Pseudocapacitive, and Battery-like Charge/Discharge Behavior in Aqueous Electrolytes

Srimuk, Pattarachai | Lee, Juhan | Budak, Öznil | Choi, Jaehoon | Chen, Ming | Feng, Guang | Prehal, Christian | Presser, Volker

Langmuir , 2018, 34 (44), 13132-13143.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b02485

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