The Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems aims to develop new materials that are urgently needed for energy carrier generation, energy conversion, storage, and transport in a targeted, rapid and sustainable manner. The goal is to understand fundamental properties and relevant processes in the generation and use of complex materials in order to develop building blocks for a sustainable energy system. At the same time, the center is looking into regenerative processes to replace energy-intensive ways of materials production and processing.

The ways in which composition and processing influence materials structures and properties are considered along all relevant length scales from the atom to the component. The goal is to realize the vision of the knowledge-based development of novel materials and processes for the energy system of the future, thus replacing a development approach, which so far is often empirical and sequential, with materials and process design.

In concrete terms, this involves such things as the fundamental design of novel materials, including interfaces and surfaces, starting from the atomic scale on the basis of materials exploration with experimental and simulative high-throughput methods. For this purpose, hypotheses are derived from physical and chemical models in combination with machine learning and optimized in an iterative and experimentally simulative design cycle to obtain correlations between chemical composition, crystal structure and microstructure of new, chemically complex materials for applications under extreme conditions. Furthermore, the focus is on observing and controlling quantum mechanical processes in real time at interfaces and in heterostructures for energy-relevant materials such as catalysts, batteries, magnets, and superconductors. Another field of interest is the development of scalable synthesis, coating, and structuring methods. These close the gap between newly discovered materials and their implementation in electrochemical and electrified processes and make it possible to evaluate the innovative material concepts in a system context. Aspects of sustainability, resource availability, cost effectiveness and usability in the energy system are considered from the very outset and set priorities for the development of components and system-compatible materials.
 

Professor Christof Schulz, Director:

“The urgency of the energy transition is becoming clearer by the day. Both in terms of reducing CO₂ emissions and independence from fossil fuels, it is now undisputed that a dramatic change in the energy system is imminent. Electrification will be the first step, conversion to chemical storage and transportation media the second.

High-performance functional materials are needed for these technologies. Because their use will increase dramatically, these functional materials must be based on available raw materials. Take hydrogen production, for example: The precious metals previously used for catalysis will no longer be available in sufficient quantities; instead, new multi-element materials will be required, the selection of which will be supported by theory. The functional materials must be integrated into optimized component architectures. The materials must be durable and cost-effective to manufacture and enable species and energy conversion with high levels of efficiency. This requires not only a detailed understanding of the production and processing routes, but also the elucidation of structures and ageing using high-resolution microscopic methods.

At the Research Center Future Energy Materials and Systems, we look at new materials in a systems context and develop them further in an interdisciplinary team. We cover the entire knowledge and value chain in order to develop solutions for the future using accelerated and semi-automated methods.”

(Photo credit: A. Muchnik, CENIDE)