Academic Research 

The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources requires economic and sustainable electrochemical energy storage solutions with high energy and power density. A promising approach is anode-free cells with alkali-metal anodes and solid electrolytes. Such cells can be more lightweight, compact and economical than state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries. An important challenge in alkali-metal anodes is the effective management of the alkali metal. Alkali-metal anodes can be either solid or liquid. Solid alkali-metal anodes suffer from limited power capabilities. In contrast, liquid alkali-metal anodes enable high-power charging and discharging, as well as high areal capacities. 
Only effective alkali-metal management enables sufficient cycling stability and efficient use of the entire active material at low overpotentials and low operating temperatures. To improve the feasibility of liquid alkali-metal anodes we are working on improving several aspects of the anode compartment. The interaction between the alkali-metal, the current collector, and the solid electrolyte especially during phase change is major interest on the way to targeted material choice improvements. Coatings that precisely adjust the sodiophobicity/-philicity are another focus of our research. 
We had a very successful intern last summer and you can contact her for questions about her stay. We can provide her email adress for interested students. 

The most important requirement is a high degree of motivation combined with a high commitment to the research. This should be combined with good communication skills in English. On this basis, all necessary skills can be learned due to the close mentorship and support we provide at GER. 

No specific preparation is required. We can meet to discuss potential literature you could read before the project.