The department “Energy Storage Materials and Fuel Cells” works on material and process development for electrochemical energy conversion technologies. We focus on functional materials and their recycling in closed-loop processes for the production of batteries and fuel cells.
The (re)synthesis of functional materials and the upstream recycling of cells and production waste are research topics within the field of battery cell production. Activities related to innovative battery concepts include the production of metallic anodes, the development of suitable protective and interfacial layer concepts and the use of sulphide electrolytes for solid-state batteries. In the field of fuel cell technology, we focus on the manufacturing of suitable catalyst materials and membrane electrode units for the production of fuel cell components and stacks in cooperation with the institutes of the BLB.
In collaboration with the Fraunhofer IST and the partners of the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter (https://wasserstoff-campus-salzgitter.de/), various topics are being investigated related to the production, characterisation and recycling of fuel cell stacks, the evaluation of the hydrogen value chain and the use of hydrogen in various application scenarios.
The chemical, physical and electrochemical characterisation of the technical processes along the process chain of fuel cells and batteries provide a valuable understanding of the corresponding relationships between the material, processes, structure and properties.