Prof. Dr. Yan Lu: Developing new types of batteries sustainably
Since 2009, Yan Lu is a researcher at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin. In 2017, she became a professor at the University of Potsdam and at HZB. In addition to her work at the HZB, she is now also a professor at the University of Jena. © M. Setzpfandt / HZB
Yan Lu is appointed new Professor of Hybrid Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion at Friedrich Schiller University Jena together with HZB. Congratulations!
“Conventional lithium-ion batteries are very powerful, but also expensive, as they require metals such as nickel and cobalt in addition to lithium,” says chemist Prof Dr Yan Lu. “That’s why I’m researching more sustainable alternatives, such as lithium-sulphur batteries and batteries based on hybrid materials,” explains the 47-year-old scientist, who is working at Friedrich Schiller University Jena since this semester. Her work combines various areas of expertise: In order to make energy available electrochemically, she combines organic and inorganic chemistry, for example, and also draws on research methods from biochemistry.
As part of her joint appointment with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), where she continues to head the Institute for Electrochemical Energy Storage, the new professor is also co-director of the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications Jena (HIPOLE Jena), which has been founded in 2023 in Jena by the university and HZB.
About Yan LuAfter studying chemistry in Shanghai, Yan Lu completed her doctorate at TU Dresden and then conducted research first in Bayreuth and from 2009 at the Helmholtz Centre Berlin. In 2017, she became a professor at the University of Potsdam and at HZB. In addition to her work at the Helmholtz Centre, she has also been Professor of Hybrid Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion at the University of Jena since the winter semester 2023/24.
- Largest magnetic anisotropy of a molecule measured at BESSY IIAt the Berlin synchrotron radiation source BESSY II, the largest magnetic anisotropy of a single molecule ever measured experimentally has been determined. The larger this anisotropy is, the better a molecule is suited as a molecular nanomagnet. Such nanomagnets have a wide range of potential applications, for example, in energy-efficient data storage. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Kohlenforschung (MPI KOFO), the Joint Lab EPR4Energy of the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin were involved in the study.
- Catalyst Activation and Degradation in Hydrous Iridium OxidesThe development of efficient catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) is crucial for advancing Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) water electrolysis, with iridium-based OER catalysts showing promise despite the challenges related to their dissolution. Collaborative research by the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH and the Fritz-Haber-Institut has provided insights into the mechanisms of OER performance and iridium dissolution for amorphous hydrous iridium oxides, advancing the understanding of this critical process.
- Two Humboldt-Fellows join HZBIn 2024, two young scientists joined HZB as Humboldt Fellows. Kazuki Morita joined Prof. Antonio Abate's group and brings his expertise in modelling and data analysis to solar energy research. Qingping Wu is an expert in battery research and works with Prof. Yan Lu on high energy density lithium metal batteries.