Boosting battery power
Boosting battery power
Achieving the energy transition requires new storage solutions. In her doctoral research at ETH Zurich, Ayça Şenol Güngör is looking at ways to develop more efficient batteries from sustainable materials.
“Transportation consumes about one-third of the energy used in Switzerland and is a major contributor to CO2 emissions. This makes electric mobility a key component of a net-zero future,” Ayça Şenol Güngör explains. “To achieve the energy transition, we need to produce electricity from renewable sources. At the same time, we have to focus on energy-efficient technologies. This means creating batteries with higher energy densities and a lower environmental impact.”
High-performing materials
Ayça Şenol Güngör, ETH researcher and former Excellence Scholar, is working on lithium-sulphur batteries, a promising alternative to conventional rechargeable batteries. The current industry standard in the lithium-ion battery sector is based on lithiated metal oxides or phosphates. Some of these materials, e.g. cobalt, are mined under sometimes precarious working conditions, and its transport and processing are both highly energy-intensive and expensive.
Sulphur, on the other hand, is inexpensive, environmentally friendly and available in abundance. In addition, the potential energy density of lithium-sulphur batteries is three to five times higher than that of conventional batteries, enabling greater energy storage with less weight and material.
© ETH Foundation / Daniel Winkler
“Lithium-sulphur batteries could create new perspectives for electric mobility, from transportation to lightweight aviation.”
Besides being good for the environment, the batteries create new perspectives for electric mobility. “I’m thinking of the range limitation of the electric trucks used in freight transport, a sector with high emissions and energy consumption. This could be improved with lithium-sulphur batteries. The batteries also hold potential for lightweight aviation – today’s batteries are too heavy and energy-intensive to give an electric aircraft a longer range,” Ayça Şenol Güngör explains.
However, the technology isn’t yet ready for widespread commercialisation. “The batteries have yet to reach their maximum capacity and lifespan. The aim of my research is to better understand the working mechanisms of lithium-sulphur batteries so that we can exploit their huge potential.”
Passion for finding new solutions
Ayça Şenol Güngör first developed a fascination for materials science during her Bachelor’s studies at Sabancı University in Istanbul. When it came to doing her Master’s, ETH Zurich was her first choice. “Few universities offer such a broad education in this field as ETH,” she says of her decision. “When I received an Excellence Scholarship, I was over the moon.”
The scholarship also gave the young researcher the chance to make interesting contacts: “At an event organised by the ETH Foundation, I got talking to Enrico Scoccimarro, the cofounder of FenX, where I later wrote my Master’s thesis,” she recalls. The experience of working at the ETH spin-off – a product of Professor André Studart’s lab – was enriching: “I really liked the dynamic environment and the way that research was directly applied. I can well imagine working in a start-up after my doctorate.”
Until then, Ayça Şenol Güngör is focussed on her experimental research work in the Materials and Device Engineering Group headed by ETH professor Vanessa Wood. Although she’s not likely to have solved all the current problems around lithium-sulphur batteries by the time she’s finished her doctorate, Ayça Şenol Güngör is convinced of the value of her work: “Armed with the knowledge I gain, I can help create a more sustainable battery sector and make a positive impact on future energy consumption.”
Funding outstanding young researchers
By attracting exceptional young people from Switzerland and around the world to study for a Master’s degree at ETH Zurich, the ETH Excellence Scholarship programme is an essential instrument in the competition for the world’s brightest minds. Thanks to donor support, funding is provided to those ranking in the top two to three percent of their year. Due to increasing student numbers, the demand for Excellence Scholarships has grown: the goal is to be able to award 60 Excellence Scholarships per year.
