Young Scientist Award Electrochemistry of the GDCh Division of Electrochemistry

The Young Scientist Award endowed by BASF SE was presented to Dr. Alexander Gunnarson on the occasion of the Electrochemistry 2024 Conference in recognition of his outstanding dissertation, completed at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research in Mülheim, entitled: “Synthesis and Evaluation of Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells”

"In his work, Dr. Gunnarson investigated graphitic hollow spheres and graphitic mesoporous solid spheres as support materials for catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. The focus of the work was on optimising the production process for these support materials, as well as on investigating stability and transport effects in the catalyst layer. Alongside developing a fundamental understanding of the structure–performance relationships for the ORR, Dr. Gunnarson also kept practical applications in mind and developed a scalable synthesis route. Dr. Gunnarson's work impressively covers a wealth of aspects relating to the use of graphitic support materials for electrocatalysts. In addition, the results achieved through several collaborations are an outstanding example of networking in science.

The Young Scientist Award sponsored by BASF SE was presented to Dr. Marvin Cronau on the occasion of the GDCh Science Forum Chemistry in Leipzig, in recognition of his outstanding dissertation completed at Philipps-Universität Marburg, entitled: “Synthesis, Characterisation and Optimisation of New Materials for Use in High-Performance Lithium-Ion and Lithium Solid-State Batteries”

"Dr. Cronau investigated, firstly, the optimisation of the energy density of lithium-ion batteries by increasing the electrode thickness. Various parameters for the resulting necessary reduction in cell resistance were evaluated. In the second part of his work, which deserves particular mention, Dr. Cronau focused on lithium solid-state batteries. Here, he succeeded in uncovering and demonstrating the dependence of the ionic conductivity of sulphide solid electrolytes on the fabrication pressure of the sample and the measurement pressure. The qualitative differences identified in the pressure dependence of ionic conductivity between amorphous and glass-ceramic samples, compared with microcrystalline samples, were previously unknown and are highly significant for the further development of this type of battery. In addition, his findings may contribute to better comparability of published ionic conductivities. Alongside the outstanding scientific results incorporated into this exceptionally clear dissertation, which features very good graphics, Dr. Cronau also considered how his research could be applied on an industrial scale."

The Young Scientist Award was presented on the occasion of the Conference Electrochemistry 2022 in Berlin to Dr. Matthäus Siebenhofer in recognition of his outstanding dissertation completed at TU Wien, entitled: „Investigating Point Defect Concentrations and Their Impact on Surface Exchange Reaction Rates of Mixed Ionic and Electronic Conductors“.

"Understanding the oxygen exchange reaction at the surface of mixed ionic and electronically conducting oxides such as lanthanum strontium cobalt oxide or strontium titanate is essential for their further development for solid oxide fuel cells, sensors and capacitors. By introducing a new method, in-situ impedance spectroscopy during pulsed laser deposition, oxide thin films can be examined directly after their deposition. Dr. Siebenhofer was the first to demonstrate that these are initially considerably more exchange-active than previously known, but then undergo rapid degradation due to coverage with sulphur adsorbates. The new experimental approach made it possible to determine concentration-independent activation energies for oxygen incorporation and release. Together with defect-chemical model calculations, this enabled a mechanism for the oxygen exchange reaction of mixed conductors to be derived and validated. He also impressively demonstrated how the oxygen stoichiometry of strontium titanate is already influenced by the UV light of the plasma torch during pulsed laser deposition."

The Young Scientist Award was awarded to Dr. Johannes Ludwig Röckl in recognition of his publication produced in the working group of Prof. Dr. Siegfried Waldvogel at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz: „Merging shuttle reactions and paired electrolysis for reversible vicinal dihalogenations“.

"Vicinal dibromides and dichlorides are widely used as flame retardants and pesticides, polymers and pharmaceuticals; their efficient production without the use of highly reactive and corrosive halogenating reagents had previously not been achieved. It was only the skilful combination of electrochemistry and synthesis that led to a breakthrough. The electrochemical reduction of aliphatic polyhalogen compounds developed by Mr Röckl, followed by anodic oxidation of the released halide and its addition to double bonds, is a new concept with broad fields of application. With his ‘E-Shuttle’ approach, Mr Röckl demonstrates how landfill residues of the toxic insecticide lindane can be used to produce new value-added products. Traditional energy-intensive and technically complex degradation processes can be replaced by the new method. With his work, Mr Röckl makes an important contribution to sustainable, electricity-based chemistry, which can help eliminate persistent industrial legacies."

The Young Scientist Award was presented to Tobias Löffler in recognition of his publication entitled: „Design of Complex Solid-Solution Electrocatalysts by Correlating Configuration, Adsorption Energy Distribution Patterns, and Activity Curves", which appeared in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition in February 2020.

High-entropy alloys, in which five or more elements are present in a complex single-phase solid solution, form a multitude of combinations of electrocatalytically active sites that overcome the limitations of catalyst combinations of individual elements. Tobias Löffler developed a concept that correlates the composition of a solid solution with the distribution pattern of adsorption energies, thus enabling the derivation of electrochemical activity curves. The concept was verified by investigating oxygen reduction under alkaline conditions as a model reaction on selected catalyst combinations. This also makes it possible to limit the considerable screening effort involved in catalyst development to the selection of suitable element configurations. The work contributes to a better understanding and reduces the future experimental effort required for the synthesis and testing of electrocatalysts for the various applications of the promising class of substances known as high-entropy alloys.

The Young Scientist Award was awarded to Dr. Philip Heinrich Reinsberg for his outstanding dissertation on the topic: "On the Influence of Cations in Non-Aqueous Electrochemistry" on the occasion of the 2019 Annual Conference as part of the GDCh Science Forum in Aachen.

In his work, Philip Reinsberg investigated the influence of alkali and alkaline earth ions on oxygen reduction in aprotic solvents. The influence of the ions on the reaction mechanism and the selectivity of the products formed on different electrode materials is described in a universally applicable manner for mono- and even divalent ions using the concept of the cation acceptor number. The concept is based on experimental results obtained through an elegant combination of a wide range of electrochemical methods with modern characterisation techniques, such as surface-enhanced infrared spectroscopy. His work provides access to a deeper understanding of processes in metal–air batteries, particularly the possibilities – but also the limitations – of alkaline earth–air systems, which, owing to their high attainable energy densities and the good availability of raw materials, could in future become an alternative to the widely used lithium-ion batteries.