Summary of Symposia

Symposium 4 Lithium-ion batteries: From liquid to solid state

Sponsored by: Division 3: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

Lithium-ion batteries are the dominating electrochemical energy storage technology, powering portable electronics, power tools and (hybrid) electric vehicles, while also gaining increasing importance for the stationary storage of renewable energy. Nonetheless, there is still room for further improvement, including the transition to lithium-metal anode. At the same time, substantial efforts are undertaken to develop and improve alternative battery chemistries.

Symposium Organizers: Jelena Popovic-Neuber (lead organizer), University of Stavanger, Norway. Yu-Guo Guo, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China. Dominic Bresser, Helmholtz Institute Ulm (HIU), Germany, Isidora Cekic-Laskovic, Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS), Germany.

Symposium 5 New battery chemistries

Sponsored by: Division 3: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage & Division 4: Electrochemical Materials Science

Upon the last decade, substantial efforts have been undertaken to develop and improve alternative battery chemistries to lithium-ion such as sodium-ion, potassium-ion as well as those based on multivalent charge carriers. Aqueous batteries are also becoming increasingly popular. Although the design of full cells is a hot topic, the development of high performance electrode and electrolyte materials, with regards to capacity, operating potential, power capability, sustainable aspects, and cycling ability, is a key issue to further promote these new chemistries.

Symposium Organizers: Rebeca Marcilla (lead organizer),  IMDEA  Energy  Institute,  Spain. Tetsu Ichitsubo, Tohoku University, Japan. Matteo Bianchini, University of Bayreuth, Germany. Sonia Dsoke, University of Freiburg, Germany.

Symposium 6 Hydrogen production and conversion: Advances in water electrolysis and fuel cells

Sponsored by: Division 3: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

Electrochemical water electrolysis is a promising option for carbon-free production of hydrogen to feed fuel cells and operate the transition to sustainable energy. Many challenges still need to be tackled towards the wider adoption of these technologies for hydrogen production and conversion. This symposium will highlight research directions that emerged in recent years address activity, stability, and scarcity of the materials used in electrodes and membranes.

Symposium Organizers: Ifan Stephens (lead  organizer),  Imperial  College  London,  UK.  Svitlana Pylypenko, Colorado School of Mines, USA. Kai Exner, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany. Aaron Marshall, University of Canterbury, New Zealand.

Symposium 7 High power devices: Electrodes and electrolytes, limiting factors or assets for power capability?

Sponsored by: Division 3: Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage

This symposium will be dedicated to the most recent investigations related to fast storage devices with a focus on the influence of the electrode materials and designs, as well as the electrolytes, on the power performance. The goal of this symposium is to address several aspects related to these fast processes, from fundamental investigations of electrode/electrolyte interface to the development and evaluation of innovative devices.

Symposium Organizers: Maria Arnaiz (lead organizer), CIC Energigune, Spain. Binson Babu, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence, India. Andrea Balducci, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany. Elzbieta Frackowiak, Poznan University of Technology, Poland.

Symposium 8 Corrosion, coatings, and nanostructures for a sustainable future

Sponsored by: Division 4: Electrochemical Materials Science

The symposium is intended to be a forum to present and discuss the fundamental understanding of corrosion processes and practical applications of a range of corrosion protection and coating methods. It also covers nanostructure and 3D structure formation using electrochemical anodic and cathodic processes. It will address the recent advances in electrochemical technologies, corrosion and electrodeposition modelling and various coating and surface treatment methods and novel electrochemical fabrication of nanostructures.

Symposium Organizers: Hiroki Habazaki, (lead organizer),  Hokkaido  University,  Japan.  Carmen Pérez, University of Vigo, Spain. James Noël, Western University, Canada. Andreas Bund, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Germany.

Symposium 9 Durability of materials for energy conversion and storage: Mechanism, mitigation and performance

Sponsored by: Division 4: Electrochemical Materials Science

Energy conversion and storage materials are essential for the development of sustainable energy technologies. However, these materials are susceptible to degradation under operating conditions, which can lead to reduced performance and lifetime. This symposium provides a forum for researchers to discuss the latest advances in understanding the durability of materials and mitigating materials degradation in electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems, including advanced secondary batteries, supercapacitors, several types of fuel cells, electrolysis and Perovskite solar cells.

Symposium  Organizers:  Jan  M.   Macak,   University   of   Pardubice,   Czech   Republic.   Mireille Turmine (lead organizer), Sorbonne Université, France. Bernard Lestriez, Université de Nantes, France. Arno Bergmann, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the MPG, Germany.

Symposium 10 Green electrochemistry for a sustainable world

Sponsored by: Division 5: Electrochemical process engineering and technology

Due to the overexploitation of natural resources, scientists and engineers are now being encouraged to seek solutions that are not only more effective to ensure the availability of resources, but also more efficient, sustainable and integrated. Emerging concepts are arising as a result of a comprehensive approach to managing resources (water, soil, air, energy), such as the nexus concept, sustainable development goals (SDGs), carbon neutrality, energy transition, and circular economy. The integration of knowledge from various disciplines can create a synergistic effect and effectively tackle a wide range of challenges to sustainability. This has fostered the interplay between science (materials science, electrochemistry, green chemistry) and process engineering and technology. These interactions can potentially create new opportunities and possibilities to maximize societal advantages. Hence, the implementation of electrical power in chemical processes holds significant importance in establishing a sustainable world and paving the way for a clean future.

Symposium Organizers: Ignasi Sirés  (lead  organizer),  Universitat  de  Barcelona,  Spain. Manuel Rodrigo, Universidad de Castilla - La Mancha, Spain. Minghua Zhou, Nankai University, China. Claudia Weidlich, DECHEMA-Forschungsinstitut, Germany.

Symposium 11 Electrochemical technologies for energy and industrial electrosynthesis at scale

Sponsored by: Division 5: Electrochemical process engineering and technology

The symposium will concentrate on the practical advancements in electrochemical energy conversion, storage, and electrosynthesis. The primary emphasis will be on the components of fuel cells and electrolyzers, including systems, stacks, and industrial processes. Electrochemical technologies also enable the production or conversion of basic chemical compounds as well as high value-added products (e.g.: oxidants, H2O2, H2, CO2, NH3). Here, fundamental knowledge is applied to systems such as electrolyzers, fuel cells, flow batteries and other reactors.
Symposium Organizers: Carlos Ponce de Leon (lead organizer), University of Southampton, UK. Thomas Turek, Clausthal University of Technology, Germany. Rakel Wreland Lindström, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden. Carlos A Martínez-Huitle, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.

Symposium 12 Molecular spectro-photo-electrochemistry and electrosynthesis

Sponsored by: Division 6: Molecular electrochemistry

This symposium is focused on studies of fundamental chemical transformations on the molecular level, initiated either electrochemically and/or by light. These topics are connected with electron distribution, delocalization and communication within one molecule which influences substantially molecular geometry, reactivity and redox properties. Therefore, correlation of experimental data with quantum chemical approach is important. Stress will be given to new molecules with potential future application in medicine, agriculture, catalysis, transformation of solar energy, dyes, molecular electronics, etc.

Symposium Organizers: Jiří Ludvík (lead organizer), J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czech Republic. Mahito Atobe, Yokohama National University, Japan. Robert Francke, Leibniz Institute for Catalysis, Germany. Jose H. Zagal, University of Santiago de Chile, Chile.

Symposium 13 Mechanisms in molecular electrochemistry for (bio-)catalysis, (bio-)sensing and electronics

Sponsored by: Division 1: Analytical Electrochemistry, Division 2: Analytical Electrochemistry & Division 7:
Physical Electrochemistry

A simple electron (/charge, in general) transfer taking place at molecular level can be at the origin of many contemporary applications in very diverse fields of our daily life.
This symposium is focused on recent advances in the charge and mass transfer/transport processes occurring at electrode surfaces, suitably functionalized with new electroactive, bio-inspired and biomimetic molecules (including polymers). The novel materials and architectures, designed and crafted at molecular level, can enable unprecedented functionality from the physical electrochemistry point of view concerning charge transfer/transport properties. Furthermore, they can serve as novel molecular components to devise low-cost, low-power (bio-inspired) electronics, optoelectronics, (bio-) chemical sensing platforms, highly efficient catalysts. The aim is to (i) highlight fundamental approaches to devise novel functionalized molecular systems, 2D and 3D material architectures, with particular attention to synthetic receptors and biomimetic interfaces, and (ii) investigate how the structure of molecules affects the molecular interactions, the charge transfer/transport phenomena in molecular systems, molecular junctions and (biomimetic) interfaces to develop reliable and robust molecular or nanoscale bio-inspired devices for next-generation (opto-)electronics, sensing and catalysis.

Symposium Organizers: Federico Polo (lead organizer), Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy. Magdaléna  Hromadova,   J.   Heyrovský   Institute   of   Physical   Chemistry,   Czech   Republic. Hye Jin Lee, Kyungpook National University, South Korea. Valentina Pifferi, University of Milan, Italy. Kristina Tschulik, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.

Symposium 14 Experimental and theoretical methods for atomistic understanding of electrochemical interfaces

Sponsored by: Division 7: Physical Electrochemistry

The chemistry of the electrode-electrolyte interface is a key factor for the performance of electrochemical devices such as fuel cells, batteries, electrolyzers, and capacitors. Capturing this interfacial chemistry requires powerful experimental methods and simulations. From the experimental side, methods such as (operando) X-ray spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray scattering, and scanning tunneling microscopy provide key insight into the morphology, composition and (electronic) structure of the interface. Meanwhile, theoretical methods provide insight into reaction mechanisms, molecular arrangements, kinetics, electronic structure properties, and atomic-scale dynamics. To disentangle the full complexity of interfacial chemistry, a combination of theoretical and experimental methods is often necessary. Therefore, this symposium not only provides a platform to discuss recent developments and results of advanced experimental and theoretical methods, but also fosters experiment-theory collaboration.

Symposium Organizers: Rik Mom (lead organizer), Leiden University, Germany.
Katharina Doblhoff-Dier, Leiden University, Germany. Helmut Baltruschat, Uni Bonn, Germany.
Olaf Magnussen, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany.