Third-party funded projects

4SBATT aims to develop a solid-state battery based on Na, rather than Li, representing the best solution in terms of four key parameters: sustainability, energy density (specific and volumetric), readiness of adoption (i.e. compatibility with existing Li-ion production lines) and safety.

To achieve such a challenging goal, 4SBATT will operate at the cross-section between inorganic chemistry, materials science, and engineering. My team and I will develop a combined computational and experimental approach based on density functional theory and in-situ x-ray diffraction during synthesis that will allow us to explore large amounts of temperature-dependent multicomponent phase diagrams for various classes of materials. Thereby, we will design and prepare novel Na-based inorganic compounds for positive electrodes, solid electrolytes and negative electrodes.

Then, the physical properties of materials and composite electrodes will be characterized to understand, improve and engineer their performances. Finally, we will assemble solid-state batteries, based on Na and sustainable elements such as Fe, Mn and Si, intrinsically safe due to the non-flammable solid electrolyte, and targeting record energy densities of 300 Wh/kg and 750 Wh/l at the cell level.

Duration: 2022 until 2027

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini (Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)

Sponsorship: European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant 2021

The project focuses on three qualification programs in the form of short-term modules (Modul-Batt), work process-oriented measures (APO-Batt) and offers for trainers (Coach-Batt). The qualification offers are designed to have a high degree of practical relevance and are developed by tandems consisting of a specialist partner (university or research institution) and a didactic partner (training provider) in iterative development processes and with the strong involvement of representatives of the target groups.

Duration: 05/2023 until 04/2028

Project partners:

• University of Bayreuth (Chair of Environmental Production Engineering)
• University of Applied Sciences Landshut
• Technical University of Munich (Institute for Machine Tools and Industrial Management)
• RWTH Aachen University (Chair and Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics)
• Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt (Technology Transfer Center for E-Mobility)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology (IGCV)
• Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft gGmbH
• SKZ - KFE gGmbH
• Bayern Innovativ

Contact person: Gregor Ohnemüller (Chair of Environmental Production Engineering)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)

Website: Battery Education Network Bavaria

The BALU project is developing a new type of aluminum-ion battery (AIB) that should offer advantages over lithium-ion batteries in terms of sustainability, cost and performance. In the laboratory, the aluminum-graphite dual-ion battery (AGDIB) has already shown promising results, with high C-rates and long life cycles. The aim of the project is to transfer the cell chemistry from the development stage in the laboratory with TRL3 to application-relevant cell concepts. This requires research activities with regard to the development and evaluation of suitable cell concepts, which on the one hand solve material-specific issues and on the other hand test the production possibilities for such battery cells. The aim of the project is to achieve TRL6 for the AGDIB cell and thus to be able to design pilot production in the foreseeable future. At the same time, questions of recyclability in terms of the circular economy must also be considered and requirements arising from application have to be transferred to the cell level.
The Chair of Systems Engineering for Electrical Energy Storage is contributing its expertise in the field of systems engineering here. On the one hand, the development process of the cells is to be supported by the application of requirements at battery level and, at the same time, the effects of innovations at cell level on the performance of the battery are to be mapped.

Duration: 11/2023 until 10/2026

Project partners:

• University of Bayreuth (Chair of Systems Engineering for Electrical Energy Storage, Chair of Electronics for Electrical Energy Storage)
• Technical University of Braunschweig (Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology (IISB)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST)
• Sika Werke GmbH
• Alzner Automotive GmbH - Alzner Battery

Contact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Philipp Schmidt, Tobias Tietze (Chair of Systems Engineering for Electrical Energy Storage)

Sponsorhip: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) - Battery2020Transfer

Circularity³ aims to deliver recommendations for a successful implementation of environmentally beneficial circular economy measures. After a thorough conceptualization, the analysis of technological, economic and societal/political interactions within the circular economy will lead to a better understanding of socio-economic preconditions and a quantification of potential environmental benefits. This is achieved by breaking down the complexity of the circular economy concept into comparable but complementary case studies along the dimensions of value chains/implementation logic of CE measures, economic aggregation level and countries.

Electronics and electric vehicle batteries serve as one well established and one relatively new value chain, respectively, which will be exemplarily studied. The current state of circularity will be analyzed for these value chains on the innovation/micro, sector/meso and economy-wide/macro level for the participating countries of Germany, Thailand, Turkey, Chinese Taipei and Japan. This overview enables the identification of focus areas.

A large toolbox of scientific methods will be used by the partners to conduct case studies and gain a detailed understanding of the technological, economic and societal/political interactions within those focus areas. A comparison of similar case studies (a) in different countries, (b) on different levels and (c) with different application cases will lead to new and systematic insights for the specific focus areas.

After consolidation of results and evaluation on the system level, general recommendations will be provided. To ensure the usefulness and applicability of results, the research process is accompanied by a continuous exchange with relevant stakeholders covering the two application cases, the three economic levels and the participating countries. Furthermore, the stakeholders will receive results in the form of practical recommendations on how to advance the circular economy in their specific field of action as well as methods to measure progress and quantify environmental benefits.

Duration: 06/2023 until 05/2026

Project partners:

• University of Bayreuth (Chair of Ecological Resource Technology)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI)
• National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technonology, Tsukuba (Japan)
• Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok (Thailand)
• National Taiwan University, Taipeh (Taiwan)
• Yasar University, Bornova/ Izmir (Turkey)

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Christoph Helbig (Chair of Ecological Resource Technology)

Sponsorship: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Website: Circularity³

The project investigates the transport of electrons and ions in battery electrode materials as a function of their structure and grain size. We will synthesize materials with different dimensionality of the percolation channels and particle sizes, to unveil the impact of confinement on both carrier types by studying their mobilities. First-principles calculations and machine learning will be used to construct a multi-scale model of the transport of both carriers in these structures. This approach will uncover ways to link or decouple electron and ion transport, hinting at future rational design criteria.

The project is part of CRC1585: ​Structured functional materials for multiple transport in nanoscale confinements ​(MultiTrans).

Duration: 2023 until 2027

Project partners:

• Chair of Theoretical Physics VII (Prof. Dr. Harald Oberhofer)
  
• Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage (Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini)
  

Sponsorship: German Research Foundation (DFG)

Website: CRC MultiTrans

The increasing use of renewable energy sources evokes the necessity of efficient long-term storage systems. Redox-flow-batteries can be a solution to this problem, as they can balance fluctuations in the electrical supply grid. The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) has been the focus of research, but the toxicity and scarcity of vanadium calls for a more sustainable alternative. In more recent years the all-Fe redox flow battery (IRFB) has (re)gained scientific attention, as iron is earth-abundant and harmless. However, in the all-Fe battery, iron plates in the metallic state, Fe0, are used on the negative electrode, which make an independent scaling of energy and power density impossible. Additionally, the parasitic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is favored at negative electrode potentials, which reduces the battery’s charging efficiency.

The goal of this joint project is to understand and improve the parameters leading to hydrogen evolution (HER) and inhomogeneous iron plating on the negative electrode. This will be done by coupling experiments and modelled simulations across various length scales related to either an improved interface, electrode, or system design.

Duration: 01/2024 until 12/2027

Project Partners:

• Chair of Electrochemical Process Engineering
• Junior Professorship of Methods for Battery Management

Contact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Roth

Sponsorship: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

iXADE aims at developing new capabilities of (quasi-)simultaneous XRD and XAS/XES measurement at the ID26 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). Today, ID26 is fully optimized for in situ/operando XANES and EXAFS measurements for a wide variety of applied sciences. Unique features of this beamline are two high detection efficiency X-ray emission spectrometers that provide energy resolution sufficient to enable XES (X-ray emission spectroscopy) and RIXS (Resonant Inelastic X-ray Spectroscopy) measurements.
Recently, it has become increasingly clear how multi-modal and the (quasi-)simultaneous combination of different techniques could bring added value to materials' characterization and could be able to provide much more information than the sum of different methods carried out sequentially on different beamlines. For this reason, the project aim is upgrading ID26 with an X-ray diffraction setup to obtain the capability to measure diffraction data with high angular resolution in addition to spectroscopic information. This new capability will bring important new insight, especially for in situ and operando measurements: it will allow to investigate the evolution of a crystal structure (e.g. during delithiation of a battery electrode material) in conjunction with the changes in the electronic structure of the studied compounds.
With these advances, ID26 will become a unique beamline for understanding the structural and electronic evolution of functional materials, thanks to its capability to perform (quasi-)simultaneous measurements of X-ray diffraction data in addition to a wide variety of absorbtion/emission spectroscopy techniques already available at the beamline (i.e. XANES, EXAFS, XES, RIXS).

Duration: 07/2025 until 06/2028

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Matteo Binachini (Chair or Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) - B@TS

The project investigates polymeric and ceramic potassium solid electrolytes and electrode active materials as a basis for future battery cell systems.

The aim of the research network is to investigate and evaluate novel potassium-conducting polymeric and sulfidic solid electrolytes, potassium-based active materials and the potassium solid-state battery itself. Systematic investigations are to determine the relevant performance data and provide the basis for a competent assessment of possible areas of application.

Duration: 10/2023 until 09/2026

Project partners:

• University of Bayreuth (Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)
• University of Münster, Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology (MEET)
• Helmholtz Institute Münster
• Humboldt University of Berlin
• Justus Liebig University Gießen
• Wolfram Chemie GmbH

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini (Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) - Battery2020Transfer

Website: Research Portal University of Münster, Helmholtz Institute Münster

This project establishes routes for the synthesis and self-assembly of mesoporous polymer Cubosomes with functional binding sites in the bicontinuous walls, which will be used for direct conversion to mesoporous carbon, transition metals, and metal oxides (or combinations thereof). The produced particles will be analyzed regarding chemical composition, morphology, and quality of the nanostructure. The materials will be tested in electro- and photocatalysis as well as electrodes for metal ion batteries.

Duration: 11/2023 until 10/2026

Contact person: Prof. Dr. André Gröschel (Chair of Polymer Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)

Sponsorship: German Research Foundation (DFG)

The project “Energy materials in relevant operation environments monitored online by advanced energy- and time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy” (Real-XAS) is a collaborative research initiative between the University of Bayreuth and the Freie Universität Berlin, in close cooperation with the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) at the BESSY II synchrotron facility.

The project aims to develop next-generation operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) techniques to study functional energy materials—such as electrocatalysts and battery electrodes—under realistic reaction conditions. By enabling millisecond time-resolved tracking of atomic and electronic changes during operation, Real-XAS provides unprecedented insights into reaction mechanisms, activation and degradation processes, and material dynamics at the atomic scale.

Building upon the successful Live-XAS project, Real-XAS extends the experimental capabilities of the KMC-3 beamline at BESSY II through:

• Advanced sample-environment control for experiments under industrially relevant conditions (high current densities, elevated temperatures, extreme pH).
• Integration of magnetic field-assisted operando electrochemistry (magneto-electrochemistry).
• Development of frequency-domain XAS methods to capture transient reaction intermediates.

The project is part of a long-term effort to establish a state-of-the-art, user-friendly operando XAS station for the German and international scientific community, supporting interdisciplinary research in energy conversion and storage, catalysis, and battery technologies.

Duration: 10/2025 until 09/2027

Project partners:

• Freie Universität Berlin (Experimental Physics - Research Group Prof. Dau)
• Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin / BESSY

Contact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Roth (Chair of Electrochemical Process Engineering)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)

The project "Sodium-Ion-Battery Deutschland-Forschung - SIB:DE FORSCHUNG" aims to evaluate the suitability of sodium-ion battery technology (SIB) for the European energy and mobility transition to speed up industrial implementation. To this end, 21 national partners from science and industry are pooling their expertise from battery material development to the production of large-format cells to enable the fast transfer of research results into practical applications.

The "SIB:DE FORSCHUNG" project aims to identify SIB active materials that can be produced in a scalable way and offer competitive cell performance. In addition, the development of SIB cell demonstrators and the evaluation of the technology's drop-in capability, which enables integration into existing lithium-ion technology production processes, is of particular importance. This will facilitate the transfer to the new technology and reduce production costs and development time. To evaluate the results, an assessment matrix will be created that considers technological, economic and ecological factors for different material systems and processes.

Duration: 01/2025 until 12/2027

Project partners:

• BASF SE (Coordinator)
• Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research (ZSW)
• E-Lyte Innovations GmbH
• Evonik Operations GmbH
• Forschungszentrum Jülich/ Institute of Energy Materials and Devices (IMD-4, Helmholtz Institute Münster)
• Fraunhofer Institute for Casting, Composite and Processing Technology IGCV
• Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM
• Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB
• Humboldt University of Berlin
• KIT/Helmholtz Institute Ulm (AK Bresser)
• KIT/Helmholtz Institute Ulm (AK Fichtner)
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Institute for Applied Materials - IAM
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) - Institute of Nanotechnology - BELLA
• Litona GmbH
• Rain Carbon Germany GmbH
• RWTH Aachen - Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA)
• Schunk Carbon Technology GmbH
• Technical University of Munich
• University of Bayreuth
• University of Münster (MEET Battery Research Center, IfBM)
• VARTA Microbattery GmbH

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini (Chair or Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR)

The project "Resource Strategies for a Sustainable Energy Transition" (SOUVERÄN) explores how the energy transition in the EU can be designed to be both sustainable and resource-efficient. As demand grows for technologies such as photovoltaics, batteries, wind turbines, and electrolysers, so too does the need for raw materials—many of which are considered critical or difficult to access.

The aim of the project is to thoroughly analyze the supply chains and life cycles of these key technologies and to develop pathways for producing them efficiently, in a climate-friendly manner, and with low supply risks within Europe. The project considers approaches such as material efficiency, circular economy, substitution of critical raw materials, and relocation of production to Europe or stable partner countries (on-/friendshoring).

In close cooperation with industry, associations, and policymakers, the project develops strategies for a future-proof energy system that balances climate goals, resource use, and economic costs. In addition, a digital tool is being developed to support companies in making informed location decisions.

Duration: 01/2025 until 12/2027

Project partners: 

• Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
• University of Freiburg

Conact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Helbig (Chair of Ecological Resource Technology)

Sponsorship: Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE)

"Shaping Porous Electrode Architecture to Improve Current Density and Energy Efficiency in Redox Flow Batteries" (SPACER) is a research and training project funded by the European Union’s Marie-Sklodowska-Curie programme. It involves 13 partners and 8 associated partners from 9 different countries, who will recruit 17 PhD students for the project.

The general problem of flow batteries and other battery types is the relatively high levelized costs of storage. SPACER aims to develop new architectures for porous electrodes to improve the power density and energy efficiency of redox flow batteries, enabling affordable and durable long-duration energy storage.

In this project, the University of Bayreuth develops functionalised fibre electrodes via electrospinning and core-shell design. Tasks include adapting electrospinning equipment, producing catalyst-decorated test electrodes, and analysing their morphology and performance. The goal is to improve interface design, catalyst stability, and efficiency in redox flow batteries.

Duration: 09/2025 until 08/2029

Project partners:

• Chalmers University of Technology
• CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology (Brno University of Technology)
  
• Elestor
  
• Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT
• Fureho
  
• Pinflow Energy Storage
• Technical University of Eindhoven
• Technical University of Denmark
• University of Bayreuth
• University of Chemistry and Technology Prague
• University of Innsbruck
• University of Padua
• University of Stuttgart
• Zurich University of Applied Sciences

Contact person: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christina Roth (Chair of Electrochemical Process Engineering)

Sponsorship: European Union (EU)

Website: SPACER

The project "Hybrid Perovskite/ Metal Oxide Heterojunctions as Bifunctional Electrodes in Photobatteries: Syntheses, Analyses and Structure-Property Relations" (StoreLight) aims to develop and understand photobatteries that convert and store solar energy within a single integrated device. At the heart of the project are heterojunction electrodes capable of absorbing light, generating charge carriers, and reversibly storing ions.

To achieve this, StoreLight combines hybrid perovskites as highly efficient photoactive materials with metal oxides such as TiO₂ and V₂O₅, which function both as electron or hole extraction layers and as battery electrodes. Nanostructured heterojunctions are synthesized to maximize light harvesting, charge separation, and ion transport, thereby aiming at enhancing both photovoltaic and storage performance. 

The project investigates the underlying electronic and ionic transport processes using optical spectroscopy, electrochemical analyses, and operando solid state NMR spectroscopy and X ray diffraction. By integrating advanced synthesis with comprehensive structural and physicochemical characterization, StoreLight aims to establish structure–property relationships and to develop efficient, stable, and sustainable hybrid perovskite/metal oxide material platforms for future photobattery technologies.

Duration: 09/2025 until 08/2031

Contact person: Dr. Helen Grüninger (Chair of Inorganic Chemistry III)

Sponsorship: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Emmy-Noether-Programme

The large-scale research device “Thermo-electric battery test bench” consists of several cell and module test channels with thermal conditioning in dynamic temperature chambers as well as extensive communication and measurement channels. The cross-platform software enables combined electrothermal experiments, if necessary coupled at cell and module level, and provides the option of reacting to events in all subsystems during the program runtime (adaptive test sequence). The integration of any CAN bus-capable hardware is possible.
possible. On this basis, for example, the open-source BMS system foxBMS was integrated into the system.
integrated into the system. To increase safety, tests can be carried out in an oxygen-reduced atmosphere.
can be carried out.

Duration: since 10/2021

Contact person: Prof. Dr. Ing. Michael Danzer (Chair of Electrical Energy Systems)

Sponsorship: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)