How does your research contribute to the energy transition? Three examples
Using catalysis to conserve resources
Chemistry plays an important role in the development of modern products, but it faces the challenge of having to become more sustainable. In this context I am working in Prof. Frank Glorius’ team at the Institute of Organic Chemistry on developing new, more environmentally friendly methods of chemical synthesis. My focus is on catalysis, which is a process making chemical reactions more efficient and better at conserving resources. Catalysts, which are needed only in small quantities, additionally facilitate new reaction paths and products.
What’s especially important to me is to use starting materials which are easily available in order to use their functionalisation to manufacture valuable products. One example from my research is the conversion of olefins into amino acid derivates which are equipped with a clickable functional group which can be used for almost perfect reactions. The high stability and selectivity of these compounds are key. These properties make them ideal for applications in biological systems in which natural biochemical processes are not to be disturbed.
State-of-the-art screening technologies are used for a fast, resource-conserving evaluation of suitable catalysts. These technologies also make it easier for other research groups to apply developed transformations.
Sunlight, as a source energy available in abundance, serves as the key inspiration for our research: high-energy photons of visible light make new catalytic transformations possible by breaking stable bonds under mild conditions. The resulting reactive particles – so-called radicals – react efficiently with other starting materials. This targeted transformation minimises the emergence of by-products, which means that all the atoms in the starting materials flow into the desired product – which is known as high atom economy.
Johannes Eike Erchinger, PhD student at the Institute of Organic Chemistry
Having several types of battery is indispensable
The energy transition is presenting us with numerous challenges – but of one thing there is now no doubt: the transition cannot be achieved without advanced batteries and energy storage devices. The demands on these technologies are extremely varied. For us researchers, this means that we have to deal with a broad range of questions and issues. On the one hand, it’s all about improving and adapting existing systems: on the other, there is a focus on developing new types of battery.
This diversity can also be seen in the projects in which I am involved. One example is the research being done on silicon-based lithium-ion batteries. Here we are trying to further increase the energy density. The aim is to optimise the efficiency of a system which has already proven its worth. In another project, by contrast, we are concentrating on sodium and potassium batteries, which might represent a more resource-conserving alternative. The primary task here is to find and establish functioning systems.
The various approaches being taken in these projects make it clear that battery technologies exist in different stages of development. This is especially relevant in the context of the energy transition, as the demands on energy storage are just as varied as the fields of application in which they are to be used. While some technologies can already be used, others still need comprehensive research to be done on them in order to reach application maturity
For these reasons, the energy transition needs not only the further development of existing systems but also the creation of new, innovative technologies. Only a broad range of battery types and energy storage devices will enable us to meet all the different requirements of the energy transition. Research and innovation in the field of batteries are therefore indispensable to pave the way for sustainable energy supplies in the future.
Dr. Anna Gerlitz, post-doc at the MEET Battery Research Centre
Renewable energies: acceptance and conflicts
The energy crisis triggered by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has markedly increased the necessity of the so-called “energy transition” as we go into a post-fossil age. Nowadays, almost 60 percent of total electricity generation in Germany is accounted for by renewable energy sources. The generation of electricity and heat on the basis of wind power, solar power, biomass, hydropower or geothermal sources requires space – space which, especially in rural areas, is available where there is a low population density. The emergence there of “new energy landscapes” underlines the growing importance – and strengthening – of rural areas, infrastructures and players in the transformation towards creating a supply of energy which is decentralised, more socially equitable, more sustainable and better equipped for the future. As their structures are transformed, rural regions offer the increased use of renewable energy sources, as well as new opportunities for economic development.
The most important challenges in achieving the energy transition include conflicts over energy infrastructure. Wind turbines in particular, and their proliferation, come up against problems of acceptance, as well as protests. What are especially controversial are large-scale wind turbines which can in future reach heights of more than 250 metres. Their visual intrusions into landscapes are particularly conspicuous and they lead to intensive debates on the negative impacts they have (especially through noise and the movements of the rotor blades) or on the aesthetics of sceneries. Our studies show, however, that the acceptance of wind farms on land increases over the course of their operational life because people become accustomed to them – in wooded areas too, especially on damaged areas. Consumers also become prosumers if they participate in the generation of electricity and heat (for example through citizens’ energy cooperatives or photovoltaic systems of their own). In other words, they can participate directly in energy production, which promotes acceptance.
The opportunities and challenges presented by the energy transition, as well as the associated conflicts over the use of space, play a major role in geography – in research, teaching and training – especially as specialists with specific expertise and skills are being sought in a field of work which has such a clear future.
Dr. Christian Krajewski, senior lecturer at the Geographical Institute
This article is from the University newspaper wissen|leben No. 1, 29 January 2025.