Berlin Science Award goes to Philipp Adelhelm
Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm researches and develops sodium-ion batteries in the joint research group of Humboldt University Berlin and HZB. © Stefan Klenke/ HU Berlin
Battery researcher Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm has been awarded the 2024 Berlin Science Award. He is a professor at the Institute of Chemistry at Humboldt University in Berlin (HU) and heads a joint research group at HU and the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB). The materials scientist and electrochemist is investigating sustainable batteries, which play a key role in the success of the energy transition. He is one of the leading international experts in the field of sodium-ion batteries.
‘We are delighted that Philipp Adelhelm has been awarded the Berlin Science Prize,’ says Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, Scientific Director at HZB. ‘Philipp Adelhelm is pursuing bold new approaches that are very successful and are inspiring battery research in Berlin and worldwide.’
'I am delighted to receive this award in recognition of our joint work on more sustainable batteries – an interdisciplinary project that we are carrying out in Berlin across the boundaries of several scientific institutions. The further development of cost-effective and safe electricity storage systems, for example for electric vehicles, home or large-scale storage facilities, is a central element of the energy transition and security of supply. It is one of the major challenges facing chemistry and other STEM subjects. I would like to express my special thanks to my team and our cooperation partners – especially at the science location Berlin, which, with its unique density of research institutions, is an ideal place for innovative materials research," Philipp Adelhelm says.
About the award winner
Philipp Adelhelm is Professor of Physical Chemistry of Materials at the Institute of Chemistry. He is also a member of the Center for the Science of Materials Berlin (CSMB) and heads the joint research group ‘Operando Battery Analysis’ at HU Berlin and the Helmholtz Centre Berlin. Since 2025, he has also been co-spokesperson for the Berlin Battery Lab – a joint initiative of HU Berlin, HZB and BAM for the further development of sodium-ion batteries. In 2019, Philipp Adelhelm won a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC).
The Berlin Science Award
The Berlin Science Award is presented for outstanding achievements in science and research. In addition to scientific excellence, the potential for practical application of the research is also a decisive criterion. The award is endowed with 40,000 euros.
- Green hydrogen with PEC electrolysers: New insights into transport processesOne method of storing solar energy is to use PEC electrolysers to produce hydrogen. However, scaling up this technology remains challenging. Now, a team at the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels has used 2D fluorescence imaging and particle velocimetry to observe the movement of ions and dissolved gases within the electrolyte during electrolysis. These new insights may prove useful in the development of larger PEC electrolysers.
- New contact material boosts the efficiency of perovskite solar cellsA newly developed material for the electron contact improves the efficiency of single perovskite solar cells and perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. The new material is based on a carborane molecule. It offers several advantages over the standard material C60, as shown by the study led by Steve Albrecht’s team. The new material has since been patented and is already commercially available.
- BESSY II: New sample environment allows glimpse into thermocatalytic processesA novel measurement cell allows, for the first time, soft and hard X-ray investigations under high pressures of up to 20 bar and temperatures of up to 400°C. This provides new insights into thermocatalytic processes, such as the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis for producing synthetic fuels. The development of the measurement cell is considered a significant achievement within the Care-O-Sene project.