Electrochemical Energy Systems | Junior Research Group
Dr. Severin Vierrath, Dr. Melanie Bühler, Dr. Carolin Klose
Open positions | Competence | Latest Developments | Projects and Sponsors | Team | Latest Publications | Awards
Open positions
Topic | Date | Contact person | More information |
PhD student (f/m/d): Synthesis of stable anion exchange polymers for alkaline fuel cells | 01/2023 | Dr. Andreas Münchinger Phone: +49 761 203 73266 andreas.muenchinger@imtek.uni-freiburg.de | |
PhD Student (f/m/d): Characterization of fluorine free proton exchange membranes for fuel cells for electric aircraft | 01/2023 | Dr. Andreas Münchinger Phone: +49 761 203 73266 andreas.muenchinger@imtek.uni-freiburg.de | |
Master Thesis: Laser ablation and colloidal deposition of nanoparticles | 01/2023 |
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Student asisstant: Development and Analysis of Electrodes for Anion-Exchange Membrane (AEM) Water Electrolysis | 01/2023 | Susanne Koch susanne.koch@imtek.uni-freiburg.de |
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Competence
The junior research group “Electrochemical Energy Systems” develops novel fuel cells, batteries and electrolysers. Our focus is on innovative manufacturing methods and materials, as well as micro-characterization and 3D imaging processes for these technologies.
Manufacturing and characterization
We develop new manufacturing methods and alternative materials for electrochemical energy applications: fuel cells and electrolysis cells and redox flow batteries. With new membrane systems, we are increasing the power density and durability. Furthermore, we develop new electrode structures that enable higher power densities. Methods such as electrospinning, spray coating and scalable coating processes are available in the group for this purpose. We characterize new materials and manufacturing methods electrochemically in fuel cell, electrolysis and battery test stands, as well as ex-situ in our microanalysis laboratory (µXRF, Xe-Plasma FIB / SEM, Raman microscopy, …).
We cover the entire value chain from catalyst and membrane production, ink and MEA production as well as electrochemical and microscopic analysis.
Latest developments in the group
Increased electrolysis performance with a low catalyst content
Iridium oxide is a particularly rare and expensive catalyst material that has so far been indispensable for water electrolysis. Therefore, the reduction in iridium oxide loading is very important for the commercialization of hydrogen production via electrolysis. We have made significant advances in the manufacture of electrolysis membrane electrode assemblies:
By introducing iridium oxide nanofibers, the electrical transverse conductivity of the catalyst layers could be significantly improved leading to one of the highest efficiencies with low IrOx loading.
(https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsaem.0c00735 )
The technology received the F-Cell Award in 2019 and a patent has been submitted. (https://f-cell.de/award/ )
Manufacture of fluorine-free fuel and electrolysis cells
Commercially available fuel and electrolysis cells today contain fluorine-based polymers, so-called perfluorinated sulfonic acids. With alternative materials based on polysulfones and polyphenylenes, we were able to take a major step towards fluorine-free cells with comparable performance:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aenm.201903995
Reconstruction of electrodes to simulate transport properties
With an infiltration method developed in our group via atomic layer deposition, we are able to produce reliable 3D reconstructions of the nanostructure of fuel cell, battery or electrolysis electrodes. With our extensive software equipment and expertise, we are able to assess the substance transport in these electrodes quantitatively. The methodology has now been transferred to fuel cells, electrolysis cells or Li-ion batteries.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775318304385
- http://jes.ecsdl.org/content/166/13/F956.full.pdf+html?sid=82214798-4684-4f41-96aa-cc7fdca90949
Projects and sponsors
Current research projects
- Fe-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks as Photocatalysts for Energy and Environmental Applications,
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung - Camelot, EU Horizon 2020
- CO2-to-X, Vector Stiftung
- Plug-In, BMBF
- FC-CAT, BMBF
- NeutroSense, BMBF
- AlkaCell, Vector-Stiftung
- PSU-MEA-III, BMBF
- FlexCoat, BMBF
Past projects
- Dekade, BMBF
- DirectMEA, Ministry of Economics Baden-Wurttemberg
- Inspire, EU Horizon 2020
- Neurofast, BMBF
Images of our non-profit projects
Image database. Please ask for the rights of use.
Team
Head
- Dr. Severin Vierrath
- Dr. Melanie Bühler, Applications
- Dr. Carolin Klose, Fundamentals
Scientific staff
- Dr. habil. Klaus-Dieter Kreuer
- Leonhard Probst
- Dr. Giorgi Titvinidze
- Frieder Junginger
- Dr. Marco Viviani
- Clara Schare
- Niklas van Treel
PostDoc
- Dr. Naghmeh Mirbagheri
- Dr. Lukas Metzler
- Dr. Andreas Münchinger
PhD Candidate
- Joey Disch
- Philipp Heizmann
- Susanne Koch
- Hien Nguyen
- Edgar Cruz Ortiz
- Khaled Seteiz
- Koray Yildirim
- Christian Piesold
- Mohamed El Shamy
- Miriam von Holst
- Julian Stiegeler
- Fiona Pescher
- Regina Qelibari
- Hannes Liepold
Master student, Bachelor student, Student assistant
- Hassan Fadlullah
- Simon Hammer
- Xaver Kolb
- Sophia Kilian
- Arberi Salihi
- Saadet Nur Cakir
- Nertila Joachimsen
- Samuel Ezra Paparella
- Danyal Yousuf
- Felix Vossbrink
- Luis Hagner
- Carol-Ann Kuhn
- Constantin Mücke
- Felix Wölfle
- Lasha Khutsishvili
- Hannes Grammel
- Kh Tauhid Islam
- Noortje Platenburg
Past member
- Dr. Matthias Breitwieser
- Arne Götze
- Zsoltan Danilo
- Dr. Lukas Zielke
- Armin Hartmann
- Kevin Holdcroft
- Michaela Frase
- Dr. Lili Liu
- Dr. Matthias Klingele
- Peter Holzapfel
- Dr. Witali Beichel
- Dr. Friedemann Hegge
- Dr. Van Chuyen Pham
- Riko Moroni
- Mohammad Solihul Mumin
- Philipp Veh
- Brian Shanahan
- Dr. Florian Lombeck
- Claudia Schwarz
- Dr. Andreas Büchler
- Farmal Khan
- Dilara Sultanova
- Neda Khalili Sabet
- Jacqueline Goldmann
- Akshaya Mani
- Mohamed Dhia Chabaane
Latest Publications
Electrolysis
- Hegge, F., Lombeck, F., Cruz Ortiz, E., Bohn, L., von Holst, M., Kroschel, M., ... & Vierrath, S. (2020). Efficient and Stable Low Iridium Loaded Anodes for PEM Water Electrolysis Made Possible by Nanofiber Interlayers. ACS Applied Energy Materials, 3(9), 8276-8284.
- Ortiz, E. C., Hegge, F., Breitwieser, M., & Vierrath, S. (2020). Improving the performance of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers with low Ir-loaded anodes by adding PEDOT: PSS as electrically conductive binder. RSC Advances, 10(62), 37923-37927.
- Klose, C., Saatkamp, T., Münchinger, A., Bohn, L., Titvinidze, G., Breitwieser, M., ... & Vierrath, S. (2020). All‐Hydrocarbon MEA for PEM Water Electrolysis Combining Low Hydrogen Crossover and High Efficiency. Advanced Energy Materials, 10(14), 1903995.
Fuel Cells
- Veh, P., Britton, B., Holdcroft, S., Zengerle, R., Vierrath, S., & Breitwieser, M. (2020). Improving the water management in anion-exchange membrane fuel cells via ultra-thin, directly deposited solid polymer electrolyte. RSC Advances, 10(15), 8645-8652.
Redox-Flow Batteries
- Shanahan, B., Böhm, T., Britton, B., Holdcroft, S., Zengerle, R., Vierrath, S., ... & Breitwieser, M. (2019). 30 μm thin hexamethyl-p-terphenyl poly (benzimidazolium) anion exchange membrane for vanadium redox flow batteries. Electrochemistry Communications, 102, 37-40.
Micro Analysis
- Mu’min, M. S., Böhm, T., Moroni, R., Zengerle, R., Thiele, S., Vierrath, S., & Breitwieser, M. (2019). Local hydration in ionomer composite membranes determined with confocal Raman microscopy. Journal of Membrane Science, 585, 126-135.
- Böhm, T., Moroni, R., Breitwieser, M., Thiele, S., & Vierrath, S. (2019). Spatially resolved quantification of ionomer degradation in fuel cells by confocal Raman microscopy. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 166(7), F3044.
- Hegge, F., Moroni, R., Trinke, P., Bensmann, B., Hanke-Rauschenbach, R., Thiele, S., & Vierrath, S. (2018). Three-dimensional microstructure analysis of a polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzer anode. Journal of Power Sources, 393, 62-66.
Awards
- f-cell award – Innovationspreis Brennstoffzelle in der Kategorie Forschung & Entwicklung (09/2019)
- Innovationspreis für Masterarbeit (05/2019)
- Nachwuchsförderpreis der Eva-Mayr-Stihl-Stiftung (11/2018)
- Innovationspreis des Deutschen Wasserstoff- und Brennstoffzellenverbands (DWV) (04/2018)
- Best Poster Prize beim Hereaus-Seminar, Bad Honnef (07/2017)
- Best-Poster-Award für Brennstoffzellenkonzept (02/2017)
- Promotionspreis für Matthias Breitwieser (11/2015)
- Prämierter Vortrag und Top-Platzierung beim Fotowettbewerb der Baden-Württemberg Stiftung (10/2015)
- f-cell award – Innovationspreis Brennstoffzelle (10/2015)