Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) Inaugurated
Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringia's Minister of Economics, Science and Digital Society, Prof. Dr Schubert, from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founding director and spokesperson of HIPOLE and Prof. Dr Yan Lu (HZB), co-spokesperson of HIPOLE at the opening in Jena on 17 June 2024. © Nicole Nerger/Universität Jena
On June 17, 2024, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) was officially inaugurated in Jena in the presence of Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science, and Digital Society of the Free State of Thuringia. The institute was founded by the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB) in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. It is dedicated to developing sustainable polymer materials for energy technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the energy transition and support Germany’s goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045.
HIPOLE Jena focuses on the development of polymer-based batteries, polymer additives for perovskite solar cells, and sustainable materials for energy applications (see info box). These technologies promise efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for energy storage and conversion. The new institute is funded with 5.5 million euros annually by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Thuringia.
Minister Tiefensee emphasized the importance of HIPOLE Jena at the opening: Research conducted here is highly relevant for the energy transition. He directly addressed the researchers at HIPOLE Jena: "We need your research. We need your move to innovation!" said Tiefensee.
Dr. Peter Schroth, Head of Division at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, highlighted the strategic foresight of establishing a Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications in Jena: "The diverse academic and entrepreneurial environment in which HIPOLE Jena is located ensures excellent prospects for achieving outstanding research results that can be effectively applied."
Thanks to the advance efforts of the Free State of Thuringia, which began construction early, HIPOLE Jena was able to move into a modern laboratory building on the Landgrafen Campus of the University of Jena shortly after its founding. The laboratory rooms were equipped in the first half of 2024, and concrete research in the new labs began in early summer 2024. "We are extremely fast here," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, founding director of HIPOLE Jena. "With HIPOLE Jena, we are able to give strong impulses to the development of new materials for energy technologies at an international top level." Prof. Bernd Rech, scientific director of HZB, adds that "the expertise in polymer chemistry and its applications at the University of Jena perfectly complements HZB’s experience in photovoltaics, battery research, and the latest methods for investigating chemical processes."
Info Box:
- Polymer-based batteries use polymers (large molecules composed of many repeating chemical subunits) to create lightweight and flexible energy storage solutions. They have the potential to revolutionize the way we store energy.
- Polymer additives for perovskite solar cells enhance the efficiency and durability of perovskite solar cells. These solar cells are made from cost-effective materials and can be applied to a variety of surfaces.
- Sustainable materials for energy applications are developed to avoid the use of crude oil and provide environmentally friendly and efficient solutions for energy storage and conversion. This process at HIPOLE Jena is supported by cutting-edge research methods and artificial intelligence.
Note:
The new institute is funded with 5.5 million euros annually by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Thuringia, as well as nearly 4.4 million euros by the Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS). The CZS is financing a professorship for "Sustainable Molecular Catalysis and Light Energy Conversion" and a junior research group to study "Polymers in Energy Applications" until 2030.
- A new way to control the magnetic properties of rare earth elementsThe special properties of rare earth magnetic materials are due to the electrons in the 4f shell. Until now, the magnetic properties of 4f electrons were considered almost impossible to control. Now, a team from HZB, Freie Universität Berlin and other institutions has shown for the first time that laser pulses can influence 4f electrons- and thus change their magnetic properties. The discovery, which was made through experiments at EuXFEL and FLASH, opens up a new way to data storage with rare earth elements.
- BESSY II shows how solid-state batteries degradeSolid-state batteries have several advantages: they can store more energy and are safer than batteries with liquid electrolytes. However, they do not last as long and their capacity decreases with each charge cycle. But it doesn't have to stay that way: Researchers are already on the trail of the causes. In the journal ACS Energy Letters, a team from HZB and Justus-Liebig-Universität, Giessen, presents a new method for precisely monitoring electrochemical reactions during the operation of a solid-state battery using photoelectron spectroscopy at BESSY II. The results help to improve battery materials and design.
- From waste to value: The right electrolytes can enhance glycerol oxidationWhen biomass is converted into biodiesel, huge amounts of glycerol are produced as a by-product. So far, however, this by-product has been little utilised, even though it could be processed into more valuable chemicals through oxidation in photoelectrochemical reactors. The reason for this: low efficiency and selectivity. A team led by Dr Marco Favaro from the Institute for Solar Fuels at HZB has now investigated the influence of electrolytes on the efficiency of the glycerol oxidation reaction. The results can help to develop more efficient and environmentally friendly production processes.