Energy Materials

Research Area D focuses on using water and aqueous solutions in confined spaces for energy storage and conversion, including developing safe, sustainable supercapacitors and batteries, and exploring hydrovoltaic effects to convert humidity changes into electricity.

Grafik, die die Funktionsweise des Blue Capacitors zeigt
Graphics: Martin Künsting

Additionally, the research focuses on photo and electrocatalysis for water splitting and hydrocarbon synthesis from CO2 reduction. By leveraging the unique properties of water upon interaction with multiscale porous solids, this area aims for emerging energy-related applications like scalable electrode materials for all-water supercapacitors and batteries, ultra-low friction hydrovoltaic materials harvesting energy from low-grade waste heat, as well as hierarchical porous electrodes for vastly improved water splitting and CO2 capture.

Research Area Leaders: Francesca Toma and Michael Fröba

Principal Investigators: Vasily Artemov, Bodo Fiedler, Kaline P. Furlan, Claudia Goy, Patrick Huber, Denis Kramer, Dorota Koziej, Robert Meißner, Nønne Prisle, Mariana Rossi, Nima Shokri, Andreas Stierle, Simone. Techert, Mikhail Zheludkevic