Systems Materials Engineering for Post-Lithium-Ion Batteries
Batteries will be key in our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions but require major progress in sustainability, cost, and energy density. Our research focuses on understanding the interplay between individual materials, multiphase structures, and the overall system properties in future electrochemical energy storage. Systems of interest are supercapacitors, metal-air batteries and metal-sulfur batteries or, broadly, any system with complex physical-chemical phenomena in confined geometry.
Our research is based on
The development of new methods: Operando small angle x-ray/neutron scattering and cryo transmission electron microscopy are combined with stochastic modelling and machine learning for data analysis. Machine learning will be integrated into the experimental workflow to deal with the complexity of future battery systems.
The focus on the fundamentals: Electrochemical phase transformation and charge storage mechanisms, as well as structure-property relationships at nanoscopic length scales from 1 – 1000 nm.
A holistic systems materials engineering approach: We aim to put emerging energy storage systems into practice by identifying how the physicochemical interplay of materials across length scales defines overall systems properties. So far, much of the focus to realize post-lithium-ion batteries has been on materials chemistry; We aim to shift the focus on the rational structuring at mesoscopic length scales (1 - 1000 nm), to enhance transport and control phase transformation.
News
Welcome to our new Ph.D. student Klara Neumayr!
Klara studied Physics at Ludwigs-Maximilian University Munich (LMU) and has expertise in machine-learning-based battery lifetime prediction. Her research will build on that and combine data science methods with electrochemical testing and X-ray scattering of post-Li-ion batteries. The team looks forward to learning from Klara´s expertise in Machine Learning and applying this knowledge to conversion-type battery systems.
– 01/02/2024
Our new SAXS/WAXS facility, XEUSS 3.0 from Xenocs, has arrived! It has been installed in the last three weeks. We are looking forward to the first measurements starting next week. The new SAXS/WAXS facility will be crucial for operando testing post-Li-ion batteries and electrochemical phase conversion in confinement.
– 15/11/2023
Welcome to our new Postdoc Pronoy Dutta!
Pronoy did a PhD at the Department of Physics at the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. His interdisciplinary background in physics, materials characterization, and synthesis will be ideal for working on electrochemical energy storage in confinement. The team looks forward to working with Pronoy on Na-based energy storage in nanoporous carbons!
– 24/10/2023
We are excited to announce that Christian Prehal has received an ERC Starting Grant and 2.37 M Euro funding to work on next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries. The SOLIDCON project will focus on developing new metrologies, advanced data analysis methods, and understanding the fundamentals of solid-liquid-solid and solid-state sulfur conversion. Based on nanoscopic structuring (1-1000 nm), we aim to realize stable high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries. A big thank you for all the support in recent years, to Paris Lodron Universität Salzburg, and to the European Research Council (ERC) for funding curiosity-driven fundamental research.
– 22/11/2022
Welcome to our new Ph.D. student Sven Dunkel!
Sven holds a Bachelor Degree in Mechatronic Engineering from TU Darmstadt and recently completed his Master in Energy Science and Technology at ETH Zurich. With his engineering background and experience in Li-S batteries, he is an excellent fit for our group and the Department in general. His research will focus on hard carbon synthesis for sodium-ion batteries using data-driven process optimization.
– 01/12/2024
Exciting news! The Energy Materials Lab has secured significant funding through the M-ERA.NET program. In collaboration with the National Institute of Chemistry (NIC, Slovenia), the IWS Fraunhofer Institute Dresden, TU Dresden, and the start-up Sixonia (all Germany), we are launching the project OCULUS. This initiative aims to enhance the rate performance and cycle life of all-solid-state sulfur batteries, driven by detailed insights from operando analytical tools.
– 01/03/2025
Inspiring Future Scientists: CPM OpenLab Days 2024
On June 25–26, 2024, the Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials at the University of Salzburg hosted its first CPM OpenLab Days, welcoming 230 regional students aged 16–18. The event offered hands-on experiments, insights into cutting-edge materials research, and interactive sessions with scientists and students. From sustainable batteries to bio-inspired materials, the two days sparked curiosity and enthusiasm for science. Due to its success, the event is set to return regularly.
– 01/07/2024
New Paper: Understanding Capacity Limitations in Long-Life Li–S Batteries. We report Li–S batteries with long cycle life using nanoporous carbon cathodes and carbonate-based electrolytes. Using operando SANS, XRD, and EIS, we show that primarily charge transfer—not Li-ion diffusion—limits performance. The findings pave the way for higher sulfur loading and improved rate capability. [Link to paper]
– 01/12/2024
Christian Prehal
Since the summer of 2023, Christian has been an assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials at the University of Salzburg. Until then, he was a researcher and lecturer in the Materials and Device Engineering Group at the Department of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering at ETH Zürich. In Salzburg, he will work on his recently funded ERC Starting Grant and set up his research laboratory for batteries and energy materials. In his research, he wants to tackle the complexity problem of future battery systems by developing new experimental methods and combining them with machine learning for data analysis and experiment optimization.