Research group Prof. Dr. Jürgen Janek

Current notice: Are you interested in joining our group? You can find current vacancies in the job market of JLU Giessen (FB 08, Biologie und Chemie, Physikalisch-Chemisches Institut). You are also welcome to receive further information by e-mail.

Welcome to our homepage!: Die AG Janek erforscht physikalisch-chemische Grundlagen von Festkörperprozessen, die für moderne Energie- und Grenzflächentechnologien wichtig sind.

Recent Publications: Fast Charging of Lithium‐Ion Batteries: A Review of Materials Aspects
M. Weiss, R. Ruess, J. Kasnatscheew, Y. Levartovsky, N. R. Levy, P. Minnmann, L. Stolz, T. Waldmann, M. Wohlfahrt-Mehrens, D. Aurbach, M. Winter, Y. Ein-Eli, and J. Janek, Adv. Energy Mater. 11 (2021) 2101126; find paper here

Stabilizing the Cathode/Electrolyte Interface Using a Dry-Processed Lithium Titanate Coating for All-Solid-State Batteries
R. S. Negi, P. Minnmann, R. Pan, S. Ahmed, M. J. Herzog, K. Volz, R. Takata, F. Schmidt, J. Janek, M. T. Elm, Chem. Mater. 33 (2021) 6713; find paper here

Increased Performance Improvement of Lithium-Ion Batteries by Dry Powder Coating of High-Nickel NMC with Nanostructured Fumed Ternary Lithium Metal Oxides
M. J. Herzog, N. Gauquelin, D. Esken, J. Verbeeck, and J. Janek, ACS Appl. Energy Mater. (2021); find paper here

Singlet Oxygen in Electrochemical Cells: A Critical Review of Literature and Theory
A. Schürmann, B. Luerßen, D. Mollenhauer, J. Janek, and D. Schröder, Chem. Rev. (2021); find paper here

Analyzing Nanometer-Thin Cathode Particle Coatings for Lithium-Ion Batteries—The Example of TiO₂ on NCM622
Y. Moryson, F. Walther, J. Sann, B. Mogwitz, S. Ahmed, S. Burkhardt, L. Chen, P. J. Klar, K. Volz, S. Fearn, M. Rohnke, and J. Janek, ACS Appl. Energy. Mater. 4 (2021); find paper here

Quantification of the Impact of Chemo-Mechanical Degradation on the Performance and Cycling Stability of NCM-Based Cathodes in Solid-State Li-Ion Batteries
G. Conforto, R. Ruess, D. Schröder, E. Trevisanello, R. Fantin, F. H. Richter, and J. Janek, J. Electrochem. Soc. 168 (2021); find paper here

Picture of the month - March 2021: Here you can find alternating insights into our research group. Enlarged versions of all published pictures can be found here.

Solid-state batteries have been researched and characterized with greater intensity in recent years due to their better properties compared to lithium-ion batteries, such as higher safety or broader operating temperature and comparable ionic conductivities. To compensate for the higher density of solid electrolytes, using lithium metal as anode material is necessary to obtain good gravimetric and volumetric energy densities. However, lithium metal is very reactive. If electronically conductive products are formed during the reaction of the solid electrolyte with lithium, this electrolyte cannot be in direct contact with lithium, otherwise short circuits may occur.

In order to investigate the reaction products of the halide solid electrolyte Li₃InCl₆ with lithium, lithium is applied to the electrolyte by sputter deposition. In situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to investigate the resulting decomposition products. It was found that Li₃InCl₆ decomposes into In₂O₃ and indium metal, among others. Since indium metal is electronically conductive, the electrolyte will decompose until either Li₃InCl₆ or the lithium is depleted, thus the electrolyte cannot be used in direct contact with lithium. (Picture submitted by Luise Riegger)

The WG Janek is involved in the following networks

	BASF-Forschungsnetzwerk "Elektrochemie und Batterien"
	BMBF-Kompetenzcluster für Festkörperbatterien "FestBatt" Project ProLiFest (Refining and processing of lithium foils and electrodes for solid-state batteries)
	BMBF-Projekt ALISS "Aluminium-Ionen-Batterie für stationäre Speichersysteme"
	BMBF-Projekt ELONGATE "Liquid Electrolytes for Next-Generation Battery Systems: Study and Implications of Reactive Species Solubility and Diffusivity"
	BMBF-Projekt FLiPS "Feststoffbatterien mit Lithiummetall und Polymeren Schutzschichten"
	BMBF-Projekt MaLiBa "Maßgeschneiderte Lithium-Metall-Anoden für zukünftige Batteriesysteme"
	BMBF-Projekt MaLiBa "Maßgeschneiderte Lithium-Metall-Anoden für zukünftige Batteriesysteme"
	BMBF-Projekt MeLuBatt "Frischer Wind für Metall/Luftsauerstoff-Batterien: Was man von Lithium-Ionen-Batterien lernen kann"
	BMBF-Projekt NASEBER "Natriumbasierte feste Sulfid- und Oxid-Elektrolyt-Batterien"
	BMBF - Deutsch-Japanisches Programm Projekt "Osaban" (Operando surface analytics for batteries with 3D-structured metal anodes) Projekt "InCa" (Interfaces in Composite All-solid-state Cathodes: Advanced Characterization and Optimization; 3D analysis of structured composite cathodes)
	BMBF - Deutsch-Taiwanesisches Programm Projekt "AdamBatt"
	BMBF - Deutschland-USA (DE-US) Projekte "LiSi" und "CatSE"
	DFG-Exzellenzinitiative - Cluster "POLIS"
	German Israeli Battery School
	Kooperationsprojekt mit Volkswagen AG "Modellierung von Feststoffbatterien"