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Welcome

Welcome to the Freunberger laboratory website!
Our primary research interest lies in the fundamental science of electron and ion conducting and redox active materials (inorganic, organic and polymeric) and their mutual interactions in the working environment of electrochemical devices. Particularly materials science related to electrochemical energy storage devices such as rechargeable batteries. This field has expanded greatly due to the increasing need for clean and efficient mobile energy sources. The foundations of our research are (i) synthesis of new conducting and redox active materials and fundamental understanding of charge carrier transport and electrochemical reactions, (ii) advanced physical‐chemical and spectroscopic investigations to understand the mutual behaviour of the materials in the working environment and the surface and interface processes, and (iii) the application in the electrochemical device that is a complex electrochemical reactor.

Latest Research

 

ChemRxiv | August 2024

Individual Marcus-type kinetics controls singlet and triplet oxygen evolution from superoxide
Marcus‘ theory of electrochemiluminescence explains spin selectivity in oxygen redox chemistry …. show more

Soumyadip Mondal, Huyen T.K. Nguyen, Robert Hauschild, S.A. Freunberger

Angew. Chem. | December 2023

To DISP or not? The Far-Reaching Reaction Mechanisms Underpinning Lithium-air batteries
We explain how rate and capacity limits, as well as the origin of side reactions, are connected via the disproportionation (DISP) step in the (dis)charge mechanism …. show more

R.B. Jethwa, S. Mondal, B. Pant, S.A. Freunberger

Faraday Discuss. | May 2023

Singlet oxygen in non-aqueous oxygen redox: direct spectroscopic evidence for formation pathways and reliability of chemical probes
Singlet oxygen (1O2) formation is now recognised as a key aspect of non-aqueous oxygen redox chemistry …. show more

S. Mondal, […], S.A. Freunberger

Nature Communications | October 2022

On the nanoscale structural evolution of solid discharge products in lithium-sulfur batteries using operando scattering
We use operando SAXS/WAXS and SANS to track the nucleation, growth and dissolution of solid deposits from atomic to sub-micron scales during Li-S cell operation …. show more

C.Prehal, […], S.A. Freunberger, V. Wood

ACS Appl. Energy Mater.| October 2022

Carbon Foams via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Emulsion Templates: A Facile Method to Make Carbon Current Collectors for Battery Applications
Polydicyclopentadiene (pDCPD), a thermoset with excellent mechanical properties, has enormous potential as a lightweight, tough, and stable matrix material owing to its highly cross-linked macromolecular network …. show more

S.Kovačič, […], S.A. Freunberger, C. Slugovc

ACS Energy Lett. | August 2022

Exclusive Solution Discharge in Li–O2 Batteries?
Capacity, rate performance, and cycle life of aprotic Li–O2 batteries critically depend on reversible electrodeposition of Li2O2 …. show more

C.Prehal, […], S.A. Freunberger

Nature Catalysis | March 2022

Threshold potentials for fast kinetics during mediated redox catalysis of insulators in Li–O2 and Li–S batteries
Redox mediators could catalyse otherwise slow and energy-inefficient cycling of Li–S and Li–O2 batteries by shuttling electrons or holes between the electrode and the solid insulating storage materials …. show more

D. Cao, […], S. Shi, S.A. Freunberger, Y. Chen

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. | March 2021

In situ small-angle X-ray scattering reveals solution phase discharge of Li–O2 batteries with weakly solvating electrolytes
Sophisticated SAXS data analysis gives powerful insight into complex multi-phase materials transformation: here the Li-O2 discharge conundrum is solved …. show more

C.Prehal, […], S.A. Freunberger

Nature Chemistry | March 2021

Mechanism of mediated alkali peroxide oxidation and triplet versus singlet oxygen formation
The mechanism of mediated peroxide and superoxide oxidation is elucidated, explaining how mediators either enhance or suppress 1O2 formation. …. show more

Y. Petit, […], S.A. Freunberger

Nature Communications | September 2020

Persistent and reversible solid iodine electrodeposition in nanoporous carbons
Iodide based energy storage is a potential candidate to improve performance of hybrid supercapacitors and.…. show more

C. Prehal, […], S.A. Freunberger, Q. Abbas

Electrochimica Acta | September 2020

Surface and catalyst driven singlet oxygen formation in Li-O2 cells
Electrocatalysts or non-carbon electrodes (noble metal, transition metal compounds) may both slightly reduce or severely increase the 1O2 formation. …. show more

A. Samojlov, […], S.A. Freunberger

Angewandte Chemie | August 2020

2‐Methoxyhydroquinone from Vanillin for Aqueous Redox‐Flow Batteries
2‐methoxy‐1,4‐hydroquinone (MHQ) is synthesized from a bio‐based feedstock and used as electrolyte in aqueous redox flow batteries…. show more

W. Schlemmer, [...], S.A. Freunberger, W. Kern, S. Spirk

Angewandte Chemie | May 2020

Competitive Salt Precipitation/ Dissolution During Free‐Water Reduction in Water‐in‐Salt Electrolyte
For water-in-salt electrolytes water reduction is shown to be always present from the first measured currents, and associated with this water reduction, LiTFSI precipitation occurs..…. show more

R. Bouchal, [...], S.A. Freunberger, M. Salanne, O. Fontaine

Chemical Reviews | March 2020

Lithium–Oxygen Batteries and Related Systems: Potential, Status, and Future
We provide an objective, comprehensive, and authoritative assessment of rechargeable metal–air batteries, key problems and directions to solve them..…. show more

W.-J. Kwak, […] S.A. Freunberger, D. Aurbach

Energy & Environmental Science | July 2019

Singlet oxygen from cation driven superoxide disproportionation and consequences for aprotic metal-O2 batteries
A unified mechanism of singlet oxygen formation and hence parasitic reactions across Li-, Na-, and K-O2 is presented…. show more

E. Mourad, Y.K. Petit, […], S. Brutti, S.A. Freunberger

Nature Communications | March 2019

Deactivation of redox mediators in lithium-oxygen batteries by singlet oxygen
Organic redox mediators are decomposed by singlet oxygen, indicating strategies to rationally design stable redox mediators…. show more

W-J. Kwak, […], Y.K. Petit, […], S.A. Freunberger, Y.-K. Sun

Angewandte Chemie | March 2019

DABCOnium: An Efficient and High‐voltage Stable Singlet Oxygen Quencher for Metal‐O2 Cells
We introduce monoalkylation of diamines, specifically DABCOnium, as a high-voltage stable class of singlet oxygen quenchers.... show more

Y.K. Petit, C. Leypold, N. Mahne, […] S.A. Freunberger

Nature Energy | March 2017

Singlet oxygen generation as a main cause for parasitic reactions during cycling of aprotic lithium-oxygen batteries
Here we show that singlet oxygen forms at the cathode of a lithium–oxygen cell during discharge and from the onset of charge, and accounts for the majority of parasitic reaction products.…. show more

N. Mahne, O. Fontaine […] S.A. Freunberger

News

01.10.2024:
Welcome to our new postdocs Neethu und Po-Hua. Congrats to Neethu for winning the ISTA Cluster of Excellence Fellowship!
26.07.2024:
News and views from Stefan and Soumyadip on Catalysing rate and capacity of Zinc-ion batteries recently appeared in Nature Catalysis!
23.07.2024:
Our Lab has received The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework award in bronze!
14.12.2023:
Our review To DISP or Not? The Far-Reaching Reaction Mechanisms Underpinning Lithium-Air Batteries has been published in Angewandte Chemie!
10.10.2023:
Stefan has been awarded the Anerkennungspreis at Die Wissenschaftspreise 2023 of Lower Austria!
17.05.2023:
Our paper in Faraday Discussions on Singlet oxygen formation in non-aqueous oxygen redox chemistry: direct spectroscopic evidence for formation pathways and reliability of chemical probes has appeared!
22.11.2022:
Congratulations to our alumnus Christian Prehal for receiving an ERC Starting Grant for working on Li-S electrochemistry. All the best for starting your new lab!
24.10.2022:
The article On the nanoscale structural evolution of solid discharge products in lithium-sulfur batteries using operando scattering has been published in Nature Communications! Many thanks for the collaboration!
16.10.2022:
The article with Christian Slugovc, his group and Sebastijan Kovačič on Carbon foams via Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization of Emulsion Templates just appeared! Many thanks for the collaboration!
29.08.2022:
Our publication in ACS Energy Letters on Exclusive Solution Discharge in Li-O2 Batteries just appeared!
03.03.2022:
The paper with the Yuhui Chen’s group at Nanjing Tech and Siqi Shi’s group at Shanghai just appeared in Nature Catalysis, revealing threshold potentials for fast kinetics during mediated redox catalysis of insulators. Thanks guys for the excellent collaboration!
07.02.2022:
Our ERC Proof of Concept grant LiquidS has been granted!
15.03.2021:
Christian’s paper revealing solution phase discharge of Li–O2 batteries with weakly solvating electrolytes using in situ small-angle X-ray scattering just appeared in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.. Many thanks to Manfred, Manfred, Heinz and Ludek for your collaborations!
15.03.2021:
Our work revealing the mechanism of mediated (su)per oxide oxidation and singlet versus triplet oxygen evolution just appeared at Nature Chemistry. Thanks guys for tireless efforts!
1.04.2020:
The Freunberger Lab moves to IST Austria.
16.07.2019:
Our Energy & Environmental Science paper revealing a unified mechanism of 1O2 generation and hence side reactions in metal-O2 cells just appeared. Great collaboration with Sergio’s group at Sapienza University and colleagues from Montpellier, Basilicata and Paris.
26.03.2019:
Our Nature Communications on the deactivation of redox mediators by 1O2 just appeared. Great collaboration with the groups of Y.K. Sun from Hanyang University and L. Curtiss from Argonne.
18.03.2019:
Our Angew. Chem. communication reporting on DABCOnium as high-voltage stable 1O2 quencher for metal-O2 cells just appeared as Very Important Paper.
08.10.2018:
Christian published in Nature Communications on the charge storage mechanism in supercapacitors. Congratulations!
10.08.2018:
Stefan has won the Tajima Prize 2018 of the International Society of Electrochemistry.
01.07.2018:
Welcome to Alen and Daniel as new (visiting) group members.
25.05.2018:
Nika’s Ph.D. exam concludes a series of 3 exams in a row after Bettina and Lukas. All well done!
31.01.2018:
Our Angew. Chem. communication that identifies 1O2 upon oxidizing Li2CO3 was just accepted as Very Important Paper. Great collaboration with the McCloskey Lab
31.01.2018:
Congrats to Eléonore, Oli and the team for receiving Le Prix 2017 la Recherche for the Nature Materials paper.
18.12.2017:
Our paper on quantification of total (su)peroxide and carbonaceous compounds is now online at ACS Energy Letters .
30.11.2017:
The 2012 Nature Materials review reached 3000 citations on ISI Web ob Knowledge.
8.11.2017:
A contribution to the Junge Akademie blog went online on derStandard.at about our recent papers on 1O2 in Nature Energy and Angew. Chem.
11.10.2017:
Our paper on 1O2 in the Na-O2 cell was accepted as Very Important Paper for Angew. Chem. and is now online.
16.9.2017:
Congratulations to Bettina for winning the Best Lecturer Award at the Danube Vlatava Sava Polymer Meeting for her presentation "Porous poly(dicyclopentadiene) based cathode materials for lithium-oxygen batteries".
16.9.2017:
Our new homepage is online. Thanks to Michael Süßenbacher for the great programming!
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Freunberger © 2022

  • HOME
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