Coordination Funds

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441231758

The Priority Programme “Polymer-based batteries” (SPP 2248) is devoted to polymer-based batteries, in which (organic) redox-active polymers are used as active materials for either of the respective cathode or anode. In all-polymer batteries both electrodes are based on polymeric materials. These batteries are interesting systems due to their promising properties, which include fast charging, possibility to fabricate flexible electrodes, the absence of heavy metals as well as the low energy demand for material synthesis and battery fabrication. The scientific projects of the first funding periods successfully covered the modelling for the identification of promising new materials, the understanding of the occurring (redox) processes as well as possible side reactions, the design and synthesis of redox-active polymers, the development of novel electrolytes as well as the detailed characterisation (also utilizing in situ and in operando techniques). During this period, the consortium produced 45 refereed publications; a larger number is currently submitted (the SPP 2248 started in March 2020, exactly at the outbreak of the CORONA pandemic in Germany with the first lockdown). The central activities of the priority programme – covered within this project – will continue to promote the scientific exchange between all projects and participants of the SPP, for instance in different network events of the priority programme. One important aim of the priority programme is the support of young scientists, particularly of female scientists. Therefore, PhD students as well as the young PIs involved already in projects of the SPP will be supported by start-up funding and mentoring programmes. This project will also be utilized to promote the (international) visibility of the priority programme. Moreover, this central project will continue to provide standard materials and electrodes, which will be utilized by characterization projects as well as benchmark systems. In addition, strategies for the upscaling of the most promising materials of the first funding phase as well as approaches to knowledge transfer with industrial partners will be pursued.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2248: Polymer-based batteries