Batteries for the Energy Transition:

Complexity, Materials and Emerging Analytical Tools

Dr. Christian Prehal (Universität Salzburg)

14.01.2026, 17:15 Uhr

Universität Innsbruck, L.EG.200

Innrain 80-82, CCB

Batteries are key for the energy transition but require major progress in sustainability, cost, and energy density. These challenges arise from the complexity of battery materials, where multiple phases interact across different length scales. Gaining deeper insight into this complexity increasingly involves real-time operando characterization and machine-learning-based data analysis.

I will begin with an introduction to today's Li-ion battery technology and the broader challenges facing the battery field, including performance limitations, sustainability concerns, and Europe's reliance on critical raw materials. This will set the stage for discussing future directions in battery research and why alternative chemistries such as lithium-sulfur and sodium-ion batteries are attracting increasing interest.

To illustrate how modern research approaches address these challenges, I will present work from our ERC-funded Energy Materials Lab. Using operando small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering, cryo-electron microscopy, and machine-learning-assisted data analysis, we directly track nanoscale structural changes in working lithium-sulfur batteries. These insights help understand electrochemical conversion mechanisms in sulfur cathodes and guide the design of improved lithium-sulfur cells.

As a second example, I will present our work on sustainable sodium-ion battery anodes based on tailored hard carbon. By combining machine-learning-based materials optimization with X-ray scattering, we establish clear links between processing, structure, and electrochemical performance.