Electrochemical Interfaces in Batteries

The Focus Group “Electrochemical Interfaces in Batteries” consists of Rudolf Diesel Industry Fellow Dr. Filippo Maglia (BMW Group), Alumnus Rudolf Diesel Industry Fellow Dr. Peter Lamp (BMW Group), and TUM host Prof. Hubert A. Gasteiger (TUM Department of Chemistry). It continues and complements the work of the Alumni Focus Group “Electrochemical Interfaces in Batteries”.

New strategies are required to balance the individual need for mobility and the sustainable utilization of natural resources, as well as the protection of the environment. Technology improvements are necessary to allow the transition towards mobility concepts based on renewable energies. Today the electrification of drive trains, ranging from hybrid vehicles to plug-in hybrids, and finally to pure electric vehicles, is the commonly accepted next step in this direction. The development of renewable energy systems for efficient energy conversion and storage is strongly dependent on the fundamental understanding interfaces in electrochemical environments. The efficiency of energy conversion and energy storage processes are almost entirely determined by the richness of interfacial processes that control the rate of electron and ion transfer. 

In this Focus Group we conduct a fundamental investigation of the electrode-electrolyte interface to understand its role in defining lifetime and safety characteristics of battery cells and materials. The unknown risks associated with ageing and safety of battery materials requires a profound insights into the molecular-level materials properties and processes in order to construct fundamentals based models with predictive capability.

Doctoral candidate:

Lennart Reuter, Chair of Technical Electrochemistry