A pEek on the lab

Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH (Germany)

LAB and RESEARCH

POUCH CELL LAB

This state-of-the-art lab contains a complete assembly line capable of preparing and fabricating pouch cells, including lithium/sulfur, lithium/metal, sodium-ion, and the next generation of lithium-ion solid-state batteries.

FlexSAXS LAB

The instrument FlexSAXS is a modular system that can be upgraded in the future. Its outstanding feature is a large and adjustable sample chamber (70x70x70 cm) for different exchangeable sample environments and method combinations (UV-vis, Raman, Infrared, physisorption etc.). In order to support this strategic approach in-house expertise of the HZB sample environment group is included. An open-source software (LabView + Python) allows for easy implementation of custom-made sample environments and the data reduction is done with in-house software. This yields a fully transparent data acquisition and reduction. 

ELECTROCHEMISTRY LAB

This lab serves as a characterization lab for energy materials and includes several one-channel potentiostats from GAMRY and two MPG2 potentiostats from Biologic with 32 Channels. Furthermore a pycnometer for porosity characterization and different prototype setups for operando investigations can be found here.

RAMAN LAB

This lab includes a multimodal operando Setup which allows to perform three different spectroscopy techniques simultaneously while the electrochemical cell is charged and discharged. Besides Raman spectroscopy, UV/vis and impedance spectroscopy can be performed in parallel.

EXPERIMENTAL EQUIPMENT

MULTICHANNEL POTENTIOSTAT

A potentiostat with 16 channels to perform long-term cycling experiments of coin cells.

VERSA CO2 LASER

This laser can be used to cut almost all plastic materials that fit onto the 30 x 40 cm cutting table. This includes PMMA, polypropylene, separator material, silicon oxide, aluminum oxide, quartz glass, different rubbers etc..

PYCNOMETER

This pycnometer can measure the skeletal density of porous energy materials by using precise pressure measurements. Gases like Helium, Argon, Nitrogen or Carbondioxide can be used for this purpose

PEOPLE

Group Leader Electrochemistry 

Sebastian risse

Dr. Sebastian Risse is a physicist and has been leading a research group on electrochemistry at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) since 2017. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Potsdam in 2013, and after a six-month stay abroad in New Zealand, he came to HZB to take up a postdoctoral position on Li/S batteries. Besides being deputy head of the department for "Electrochemical Energy Storage" and the joint research group "operando Battery Analysis", he coordinates the battery science case for the new synchrotron BESSY III. Mr. Risse is currently coordinating two BMBF projects (SkaLiS & FestPoLiS) and is also represented in consortia of other third-party-funded projects. Furthermore, he represents the HZB in the "Battery European Partnership Association" (BEPA). Besides his general reviewing activities for many different journals, he is a review editor in "Frontiers in Chemical Engineering" and is currently responsible for a special issue on the operando analysis of batteries in the journal "Batteries". Currently, Mr. Risse is working as a lecturer at the Humboldt University in Berlin (WG Adelhelm) as part of his habilitation. His main fields of interest in analytical methods are impedance, Raman, UV/vis spectroscopy, small angle scattering, reflectometry, and imaging.

Potsdoc Electrochemistry 

rebeca fortes-martín

Rebeca Fortes-Martín is a chemist at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), in the department of "Electrochemical Energy Storage". After her Master studies in the Free University of Berlin and her PhD work in the University of Potsdam, she started a postdoctoral position under the guidance of Dr. Sebastian Risse about operando characterization in Li/S batteries. Her research focus in Instrumental techniques includes electrochemical impedance and X-ray absorption spectroscopy.