Project of the PhD Programme
Contact Person: Fabisch Kilonzi
Summary of the Project
The development of sustainable, high-performance electrode materials is essential for advancing next-generation energy storage technologies. This project focuses on the synthesis and functional engineering of carbon derived from renewable biomass sources for applications in advanced electrochemical energy storage systems.
Biomass precursors are converted into carbon materials primarily through hydrothermal carbonization (HTC), complemented by pyrolysis-based processes. The resulting carbon intermediates are subsequently chemically modified to introduce targeted functional groups and heteroatom doping, followed by high-temperature chemical activation to generate hierarchically porous carbon architectures with high surface area and tunable pore structures.
Through systematic precursor selection, chemical functionalization, and controlled activation, we aim to establish structure–performance relationships governing electrochemical behavior. The developed materials are investigated as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, conductive host matrices for lithium–sulfur batteries, and electrode materials for further future energy systems.
By integrating biomass valorization and functional carbon engineering, this project aims to develop sustainable electrode materials for next-generation energy storage systems. It will provide fundamental insights into structure–performance relationships and lay the groundwork for potential future collaborations in advanced energy materials.