€2.5 million for automated electrode production
Funding approved for major research facility
- 30.03.2026
The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia are providing 2.5 million euros in funding for the purchase of a high-tech piece of equipment at the University of Duisburg-Essen. This opens up entirely new possibilities for the research group led by Prof. Dr. Doris Segets, which conducts research into the processing of new materials for energy applications: The system can automatically produce electrodes with precision and consistently high quality; it enables a high throughput of experiments and integrated data management. The large piece of equipment, weighing three tonnes and occupying over 20 square metres of space, is currently being built by a specialist firm and is scheduled for installation in early 2027.
In German-speaking countries, there are only a few research instruments for automated and integrated electrode fabrication and characterisation. Most are designed for battery applications. The system secured by chemical engineer Prof. Dr Doris Segets is different: “We aim to use this to optimise electrodes for hydrogen technologies, such as electrolysers, fuel cells, or for the electrocatalytic conversion of CO₂. With this new large-scale research facility, we will take our existing work to a new level,” she emphasises. It will be integrated into the Interdisciplinary Center for Analytics on the Nanoscale (ICAN), which is already funded by the DFG. At this analytical centre, the university’s research groups, as well as external partners such as those from industry, can have their samples analysed using the most suitable methods for each case.
Electrochemical functional materials are essential in electrolysis, fuel cells, batteries and CO₂ reduction. They are applied, for example, as a paste or powder-based ink onto a substrate (such as an ion-conducting membrane). Depending on their composition or structure, they act as a central component of the electrode to control and accelerate reactions, making the technologies more durable, economical and sustainable.
Developing such electrodes is, however, challenging: the electrodes must always be manufactured identically so that test results are reliable and not skewed by minor deviations. Furthermore, many test variants must be produced to identify the best materials and processes. “Due to the high sample throughput and the required reproducibility, it is very labour-intensive to develop electrodes manually,” says Segets.
The new large-scale research facility, which is expected to go into operation at the Duisburg campus in spring 2027, can, however, automatically manufacture and test electrodes and record metadata; it will also be integrated into an electronic laboratory notebook. “This allows us to better understand which material and manufacturing processes enable the best performance and stability,” says Segets. In the long term, her research group aims to further develop the system. With the help of integrated data management and artificial intelligence, it is intended to plan and carry out experiments semi-autonomously. The scientists will review these AI suggestions, adjust them if necessary, and then approve them.
Further information:
Prof. Dr Doris Segets, Particle Technology, Tel. 0203/37 9-8230, doris.segets@uni-due.de