Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) Inaugurated

Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringia's Minister of Economics, Science and Digital Society, Prof. Dr Schubert, from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founding director and spokesperson of HIPOLE and Prof. Dr Yan Lu (HZB), co-spokesperson of HIPOLE at the opening in Jena on 17 June 2024.

Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringia's Minister of Economics, Science and Digital Society, Prof. Dr Schubert, from Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founding director and spokesperson of HIPOLE and Prof. Dr Yan Lu (HZB), co-spokesperson of HIPOLE at the opening in Jena on 17 June 2024. © Nicole Nerger/Universität Jena

On June 17, 2024, the Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications (HIPOLE Jena) was officially inaugurated in Jena in the presence of Wolfgang Tiefensee, Minister for Economy, Science, and Digital Society of the Free State of Thuringia. The institute was founded by the Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB) in cooperation with the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. It is dedicated to developing sustainable polymer materials for energy technologies, which are expected to play a key role in the energy transition and support Germany’s goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2045.

HIPOLE Jena focuses on the development of polymer-based batteries, polymer additives for perovskite solar cells, and sustainable materials for energy applications (see info box). These technologies promise efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for energy storage and conversion. The new institute is funded with 5.5 million euros annually by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Thuringia.

Minister Tiefensee emphasized the importance of HIPOLE Jena at the opening: Research conducted here is highly relevant for the energy transition. He directly addressed the researchers at HIPOLE Jena: "We need your research. We need your move to innovation!" said Tiefensee.

Dr. Peter Schroth, Head of Division at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, highlighted the strategic foresight of establishing a Helmholtz Institute for Polymers in Energy Applications in Jena: "The diverse academic and entrepreneurial environment in which HIPOLE Jena is located ensures excellent prospects for achieving outstanding research results that can be effectively applied."

Thanks to the advance efforts of the Free State of Thuringia, which began construction early, HIPOLE Jena was able to move into a modern laboratory building on the Landgrafen Campus of the University of Jena shortly after its founding. The laboratory rooms were equipped in the first half of 2024, and concrete research in the new labs began in early summer 2024. "We are extremely fast here," says Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, founding director of HIPOLE Jena. "With HIPOLE Jena, we are able to give strong impulses to the development of new materials for energy technologies at an international top level." Prof. Bernd Rech, scientific director of HZB, adds that "the expertise in polymer chemistry and its applications at the University of Jena perfectly complements HZB’s experience in photovoltaics, battery research, and the latest methods for investigating chemical processes."

Info Box:

  • Polymer-based batteries use polymers (large molecules composed of many repeating chemical subunits) to create lightweight and flexible energy storage solutions. They have the potential to revolutionize the way we store energy.
  • Polymer additives for perovskite solar cells enhance the efficiency and durability of perovskite solar cells. These solar cells are made from cost-effective materials and can be applied to a variety of surfaces.
  • Sustainable materials for energy applications are developed to avoid the use of crude oil and provide environmentally friendly and efficient solutions for energy storage and conversion. This process at HIPOLE Jena is supported by cutting-edge research methods and artificial intelligence.

Note:

The new institute is funded with 5.5 million euros annually by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Thuringia, as well as nearly 4.4 million euros by the Carl Zeiss Foundation (CZS). The CZS is financing a professorship for "Sustainable Molecular Catalysis and Light Energy Conversion" and a junior research group to study "Polymers in Energy Applications" until 2030.

Hannes Schlender

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Two Humboldt-Fellows join HZB
    News
    09.12.2024
    Two Humboldt-Fellows join HZB
    In 2024, two young scientists joined HZB as Humboldt Fellows. Kazuki Morita joined Prof. Antonio Abate's group and brings his expertise in modelling and data analysis to solar energy research. Qingping Wu is an expert in battery research and works with Prof. Yan Lu on high energy density lithium metal batteries.
  • Less is more: Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
    Science Highlight
    05.12.2024
    Less is more: Why an economical Iridium catalyst works so well
    Iridium-based catalysts are needed to produce hydrogen using water electrolysis. Now, a team at HZB has shown that the newly developed P2X catalyst, which requires only a quarter of the Iridium, is as efficient and stable over time as the best commercial catalyst. Measurements at BESSY II have now revealed how the special chemical environment in the P2X catalyst during electrolysis promotes the oxygen evolution reaction during water splitting.
  • 20 years of promoting science in the school lab
    News
    29.11.2024
    20 years of promoting science in the school lab
    38,000 visitors in 20 years: high demand shows need for science education

    Twenty years ago, on 29 November 2004, Klaus Böger, then Senator for Education in Berlin, opened one of the capital's first school laboratories. Since then, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), in cooperation with the Berlin Senate, has successfully promoted science education through project days and further training in the school lab.