Finnish master's student Jere Hokkanen, who has been working at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology since July, took third place in the “Best Poster for Young Scientists” competition at the 26th International Conference on Advanced Batteries, Accumulators and Fuel Cells (ABAF).
Hokkanen's poster “Compatibility of high-voltage cathodes with ionic liquids” presented initial results from the 3Interfaces project funded by M-Era.Net3 and the FFG. It addresses the question of how high-voltage cathodes behave in combination with ionic liquids as electrolytes. The aim is to systematically investigate the potential of these alternative electrolytes in comparison to conventional organic liquids and to find ways to harness their special properties for battery technology.
The poster showed the entire experimental approach – from the production of the electrode coatings to the cell construction and extensive electrochemical characterizations. For the tests, button cells with different high-voltage cathode materials were assembled and then examined using galvanostatic cycling, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. In addition to initial measurement results, typical challenges in the use of ionic liquids, such as their increased viscosity or wetting behavior, were also discussed, and possible solutions were presented. The work thus makes an important contribution to understanding the interfaces between cathode materials and novel electrolyte systems.
The award highlights the high quality of the research presented. At the same time, the prize underscores the international visibility of the 3Interfaces project, which is dedicated to optimizing interfaces in quasi-solid lithium metal batteries, thereby providing new impetus for the development of powerful and safe energy storage systems.