Surface & Interface Analysis

Our Group Surface & Interface Analysis uses X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to investigate the surface chemistry and physics of material and electrode interfaces. Our work is complemented by secondary electron microscopy to acquire morphological information about a sample surface or its porosity using cross-section analysis.

 

Projects in the framework of  our Cluster of Excellence POLiS (Projektnummer 390874152)
  • Analytical approach for investigating component degradation

  • Synergies and Differences at the Alkali-Metal/Electrolyte Interface

  • From surface & interphase phenomena to understanding the interplay of components in aluminium batteries

  • Electrolyte degradation in liquid electrolytes studied by gas chromatography and photoelectron spectroscopy

Potassium-Ion Batteries: Sustainable Strategies – „KIBSS“ (DFG Projekt 448719339)

The project targets new active materials to boost the storage of potassium ions and intents to find compatible liquid electrolyte systems.  The research project is conducted jointly with the Institute for Complex Materials at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden e.V.

The IAM-ESS contributes with the characterization of the electrode-electrolyte interface that is responsible for the stability and cycle life of the battery. In particular, in systems with large potential differences between anode and cathode, electrolyte decomposition reactions can represent a culprit to long cycle life and can cause rapid capacity fading. In order to address this problem, the electrolyte properties need to be gradually revised and improved to achieve a high interfacial stability and reduce the degree of side reactions to a minimum. In parallel, novel anode and cathode materials will be developed for potassium storage under special consideration of sustainable synthetic approaches and benign as well as abundant raw material selection (e.g. using iron instead of cobalt or cellulose as renewable feedstock). 

Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility for Information-driven Material Structuring and Characterization (KNMFi)

Within the KNMFi network we perform surface analysis in a diverse range of topics. KNMFi is open for projects from academia and industry, either national or international. KNMFi connects more than 20 different technologies at KIT in the areas Micro- and Nanostructuring, as well as Microscopy and Spectroscopy. Project proposals can be submitted to KNMFi. More information is provided under following link https://www.knmf.kit.edu/access.php.

Förderung Polis
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