Publications – Energy Materials

Work published on selective lithium-ion removal in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

vpresser — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 21:38:49 +0000

Joint work on “Selective Electrochemical Lithium-Ion Extraction from Low-Grade Lithium Sources with Optimized Pulsed Operation” published in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. We combined carbon-coated lithium iron phosphate electrodes with tailored electrical pulses and rest intervals to improve lithium selectivity and cycling stability in sodium-rich solutions containing very little lithium. Tests in simulated salt lake brines and seawater, including a scaled-up prototype, demonstrated the potential of this approach for lithium recovery from dilute resources.

New paper published in Journal of Hazardous Materials on electrosorption of organic compounds

vpresser — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 07:00:31 +0000

New paper published in Journal of Hazardous Materials. This UFZ-led work explores how effectively electrically charged activated carbon removes organic pollutants from water depends strongly on their molecular structure. Studying 21 compounds in tap water, we found that the adsorption of many nonaromatic compounds can be controlled by the applied voltage. Aromatic compounds behave differently: some remain bound to the carbon even after the voltage is reversed, making electrical regeneration more difficult.

New paper published on Li-ion selectivity of modified carbon electrodes in Desalination

vpresser — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 11:00:00 +0000

Here is a 3-sentence homepage summary in American English:

New paper published in Desalination. Our new study shows how heteroatom engineering can make carbon electrodes more selective for lithium-ion recovery during capacitive deionization. Using anthracite-derived activated carbon, we compared nitrogen/sulfur co-doping and boron doping in complex brackish water containing Li⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ca²⁺, revealing complementary effects: N,S co-doping improves lithium selectivity, while boron doping increases overall ion uptake and lithium recovery. These findings provide a simple carbon-based strategy for designing electrochemical desalination electrodes for lithium recovery from multi-ion saline waters.

New paper published on pH-tolerant nickel-vanadium phosphonate framework supercapacitors in ACS Nano

vpresser — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:05 +0000

New collaborative paper (lead: Gündoğ Yücesan) published in ACS Nano. We have developed a new nickel–vanadium phosphonate framework that combines redox-active metal centers with a chemically robust layered structure for aqueous energy storage. The material remains stable from pH 2 to 10, delivers up to about 300 F/g under slow-scan conditions, and retains its performance over more than 10,000 charge-discharge cycles in neutral and acidic electrolytes. Its sustainable water-based synthesis, broad pH tolerance, and exceptional cycling stability make it a promising platform for next-generation aqueous supercapacitors.

New collaborative paper published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications on hierarchically porous coatings for cellulose fibers

vpresser — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:00:08 +0000

New collaborative paper published in Macromolecular Rapid Communications. In this study, we demonstrate a particle-templating strategy to create hierarchically porous, chemically functional coatings on cellulose fibers. Silica-polymer core-shell particles are deposited on cellulose paper and subsequently etched to generate porous polymer coatings with tunable surface chemistry, including hydroxy and epoxy groups. This approach opens new opportunities for smart cellulose-based filtration systems, paper-based sensors, and functional adsorbers.

New paper published in Water Research on terminology and metrics for electrosorption of trace organic compounds

vpresser — Sat, 30 May 2026 09:13:23 +0000

New paper published in Water Research in collaboration with Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (Navid Saeidi & Anett Georgi). Electrosorption is an emerging approach for removing and concentrating trace organic contaminants from water, including PFAS and pharmaceuticals, by combining conductive adsorbents with electrical control. This Making Waves article argues that such systems should not simply borrow terminology and performance metrics from capacitive deionization, because trace-organic removal is often governed by adsorption affinity, selectivity, pore accessibility, and controlled release rather than charge-storage capacity. We propose a clearer terminology and reporting framework centered on metrics such as adsorption coefficients, breakthrough behavior, recovery, and enrichment to support better comparison between studies and accelerate the rational design of electrosorption technologies for water treatment.

New paper published on nitrate reduction in Advanced Functional Materials

vpresser — Mon, 18 May 2026 08:00:41 +0000

In a new collaborative paper in Advanced Functional Materials, we report an exfoliation-induced electrochemical reconstruction strategy that transforms CuCoAl layered double hydroxides into an amorphous/crystalline heterostructure for efficient nitrate reduction to ammonia. The reconstructed catalyst combines metallic Cu, crystalline Co(OH)₂, and amorphous CoOOH, enabling high ammonia selectivity, excellent Faradaic efficiency, and strong cycling stability. Beyond catalyst design, the study also demonstrates a Zn-NO₂^– battery concept that links nitrate removal, ammonia production, and energy storage in one system.

New paper published in Energy Advances on lithium-ion extraction with lithium manganese oxide

vpresser — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 07:00:21 +0000

New collaborative work with University of Granada (Silvia Ahualli) published in RSC Energy Advances. This study explores an electrochemical route for selective lithium recovery from saline water using lithium manganese oxide, whose spinel structure can reversibly intercalate lithium ions under controlled cell voltages. By combining lithium manganese oxide with polyelectrolyte coatings, the work links ion selectivity, release dynamics, and electrode durability in both LiCl and mixed LiCl/NaCl solutions. Lithium uptake increased strongly with applied voltage, reaching values above 40 mg/g at 1.2 V, while the soft-electrode design maintained lithium selectivity even under challenging sodium-rich conditions.

New paper published on Li-ion extraction from battery shredder solutions for recycling in ChemSusChem

vpresser — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:18:51 +0000

New paper published on electrochemical Li-ion extraction in the context of lithium-ion battery recycling in ChemSusChem. In this collaborative work with Fachhochschule Münster, we demonstrate an electrochemical route to recover lithium ions directly from real battery recycling process water generated during the wet shredding of lithium iron phosphate batteries. Using an LFP-based selective desalination cell, the process produced a lithium-rich recovery solution with 96% purity, an average lithium uptake of 41 mg/g, and a low energy demand of only 1.10 kWh/kg. This study highlights electrochemical lithium recovery as a promising, lower-energy, and less chemically intensive pathway toward more circular battery recycling.

New paper published and featured on the front cover in Energy Advances on modified nanoporous carbons for lithium-sulfur batteries

vpresser — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 07:00:49 +0000

New collaborative paper published in RSC Energy Advances. This study addresses one of the central challenges of lithium-sulfur batteries: capacity fading caused by polysulfide migration and incomplete confinement in carbon hosts. The team engineered a microporous carbon with a pore size of about 1.2 nm to host both short- and long-chain polysulfides, then further tuned the carbon structure through urea and nickel sulfate treatments. The nickel sulfate-treated carbon-sulfur cathode showed improved cycling stability, reaching 72% capacity retention at C/20 and 96% retention at C/10 after 100 cycles, demonstrating a practical route to more stable Li-S battery cathodes. Our work was featured on the front cover