Batteries
Next generation energy storage
While current battery technologies, particularly lithium-ion, have driven significant advancements, they depend on scarce resources and raise environmental, ethical, and safety concerns. At HZB, our mission is to pioneer sustainable, resource-efficient battery technologies designed for higher energy densities. By leveraging abundant, eco-friendly materials and understanding limiting factors through advanced analysis, we aim to enhance the performance, stability, and scalability of battery systems, accelerating their development. Our goal is to contribute to a resilient, globally accessible energy system powered by renewable sources.
From Electrode Materials to Battery Cells
Our research focuses on developing and designing battery materials from abundant and sustainable sources. We explore lithium-sulfur, polymer, and sodium-ion materials to create innovative energy storage solutions. By combining material design with rigorous device testing, we assess performance from lab-scale experiments to functional pouch cells. This integrated approach ensures our materials are both efficient and scalable.
Our USP – Understanding Battery States in Real Time
The development of advanced battery materials, combined with operando analysis, allows us to study electrochemical processes in real time. During battery operation, complex reactions occur simultaneously—materials undergo structural changes, interfaces evolve, and ion transport dynamics shift. Traditional methods capture only static snapshots, missing the full picture of these transformations. Our in situ and operando techniques, including the infrastructure at our BESSY II light source, enable us to observe these processes as they happen, providing crucial insights to overcome performance limitations.
BATTERY VILLAGE at BESSY II
We are establishing an integrated research hub to accelerate discoveries in battery technology: the BATTERY VILLAGE. This innovative platform unites state-of-the-art synchrotron-based instruments, specialized labs, and AI-enhanced analytics to tackle today's battery research challenges and identify the most promising material candidates. By offering a user-oriented research experience, the BATTERY VILLAGE streamlines the entire research journey—from experiment design and sample preparation to data processing and interpretation, including the creation of digital twins. Our mission is to accelerate innovation for both academia and industry.
Advancing Battery Technology Together
Collaboration is a key driver of our battery research. We work closely with international partners and are deeply embedded in the German and global research community. By partnering with top scientists, industry leaders, and technology developers, we drive innovation through strong networks and interdisciplinary teamwork. Combining expertise across institutions, we accelerate advancements in sustainable battery materials and next-generation energy storage technologies.