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High-Energy Ion-Containing Positive Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Calcium Batteries by Robert Markowski -
Mardi 25 août 2026 à 15h00 - Auditoire LAVO51 - Bâtiment Lavoisier - Place Louis Pasteur, 1 - 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve
As the world accelerates its transition toward renewable energy and electric mobility, the need for affordable, sustainable, and high-performance batteries has never been greater. Although lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized portable electronics and electric vehicles, growing concerns about the availability, cost, and environmental impact of critical raw materials are driving the search for new battery technologies. Among the most promising alternatives is calcium, an element that is abundant, inexpensive, safe to handle, and widely distributed around the world.
To unlock the potential of calcium batteries, this thesis develops a new class of electrode materials based on amorphous coordination polymers. By combining metal centers with redox-active organic molecules, these materials offer a promising route toward batteries that can store more energy while remaining sustainable. Through advanced characterization techniques, this research reveals how these materials operate at the atomic level, providing the knowledge needed to guide the development of the next generation of energy storage technologies.
Beyond the development of new materials, this work also addresses an equally important challenge: how to reliably evaluate emerging battery technologies. By identifying common pitfalls in experimental testing and proposing improved methodologies, the thesis provides practical guidelines that will benefit the broader battery research community. By combining the development of novel materials with a fundamental understanding of their behavior, this research brings rechargeable calcium batteries a significant step closer to reality.
Ultimately, it contributes to the global effort to develop cleaner, more sustainable, and more affordable energy storage technologies for a future powered by renewable energy.
Jury members :
Prof. Alexandru Vlad (UCLouvain) (Supervisor)
Prof. Jean-François Gohy (UCLouvain) (Chairperson)
Prof. Ludovic Troian-Gautier (UCLouvain) (Secretary)
Prof. Alexandre Ponrouch (ICMAB, Spain)
Prof. Maximilian Fichtner (HIU, Germany)
Pay attention : the public defense of Robert MArkowski will also take place in the form of a videoconference
