Ruhr-Universität Bochum
One of Wolfgang Schuhmann lab goals is to evaluate and understand the activity of electrocatalysts in fuel cells and electrolysers. The lab is one of those groups that have substantially contributed to the development of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM), which is now widely used to gather local information about electrochemical processes occurring at interfaces. The group was the first investigating charging/discharging of battery materials in an open half-cell in a glove box including the local formation of the SEI. The Schuhmann group has great facilities to perform complex electrochemical experiments.
Role within MeBattery
In the framework of the project, RUB’s Schuhmann group will contribute with electrochemistry expertise to understand the interface processes kinetics, which will pave the way for the improvement of the mediated biphasic battery. RUB leads the Work Package on Kinetics at Biphasic Interfaces investigating the kinetics rates at both biphasic systems: liquid-liquid and solid-liquid. RUBs SECM know-how will be adapted to investigate redox mediator processes occurring at the liquid-solid interfaces, as well as to indicate the biphasic system condition which mitigates the self-discharge processes occurring at the interfaces. Moreover, RUB’s electrochemistry expertise will contribute to understand the thermodynamic and kinetics properties, key factors to the energy density improvement.
