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Post Lithium Storage (POLiS)

Batteries have made the technological revolution of mobile devices possible. At the same time, they play a central role in the energy and transportation transitions. In the Cluster of Excellence POLiS—Post Lithium Energy Storage, the foundations for next-generation batteries are being researched, aiming to become more powerful, reliable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly than current lithium-ion batteries. Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) was already involved in the ongoing excellence cluster led by the University of Ulm and KIT during the first funding phase and is now, for the first time, among the applying universities. JLU strengthens the consortium with its expertise in interface analysis.

In this Cluster of Excellence, chemists, physicists, and materials and engineering scientists are researching groundbreaking solutions for electrochemical energy storage (EES). Their goal is to develop lithium-free batteries that are safe, powerful, and sustainable. During the first funding phase, the focus was on developing individual battery components, with particular attention on finding suitable materials for electrodes and electrolytes, as well as analysing fundamental processes at interfaces. POLiS II is now taking a significant step forward by focusing on building full cells and examining the interactions between battery components throughout the entire cell.

What makes POLiS unique worldwide is the cluster's investigation of a wide range of different shuttling ions and materials, including both organic and inorganic substances, as well as materials from solid state chemistry and liquids. Sustainability is particularly important to the partners at the three locations; the shared goal is to develop future-proof solutions that are both economically and ecologically viable. Therefore, sustainability screening, lifecycle analysis, and the identification of ‘game stoppers’ such as the limited availability of raw materials, are also on the battery cluster's agenda. Electrochemical energy storage is a fundamental pillar of sustainable energy technology and serves as a key technology that significantly contributes to the success of the energy transition.

  • Speakers: Prof Dr Birgit Esser (University of Ulm), Prof Dr Helmut Ehrenberg (KIT), Prof Dr Jürgen Janek (JLU)
  • Participating Institutions: University of Ulm, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU)
  • Research Focus: Future generations of batteries beyond lithium-ion technology, with an emphasis on performance, reliability, sustainability, and environmental friendliness.