The Young Investigator Network is the platform and democratic representation of interests for independent junior research group leaders and junior professors at the Karlsruhe Institut of Technology.
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In 2025, two YIN members were honored with a KIT Faculty Teaching Award. Ulrike van der Schaaf received the award together with her colleagues Alexander Grünberger, Dirk Holtmann, and Jürgen Hubbuch from the KIT Department of Chemical and Process Engineering. They designed the lecture “Introduction to Bioengineering” linking theoretical content with practical application examples. Wilfried Liebig imparts solid engineering fundamentals and encourages students to develop creative solutions, which they can test in competitions. For his pioneering teaching and motivating approach, the KIT Department of Mechanical Engineering awarded him the Faculty Teaching Award.
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Solid-state batteries are based on inorganic solid electrolytes. They offer enhanced energy and power densities along with increased safety compared to state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries using liquid organic electrolytes. However, their stiffness and brittle nature can complicate cell fabrication and lead to the (chemo)mechanical failure during operation. In a study published in Chemistry of Materials, Florian Strauss and colleagues systematically investigated the effect of lithium iodide additives and the annealing temperature on phase composition and charge-transport properties. They show that glass-ceramic solid electrolytes achieve optimized ionic conductivity and the (chemo)mechanical properties, thus enabling long-term solid-state battery operation.
Chemistry of Materials
Talking about the energy transition, one resource is often overlooked: industrial process and waste heat energy that could be stored and reused. The main problem is to find storage systems for temperatures above 500 degrees Celsius. “Liquid metals allow us to work in a temperature range up to 1000 degrees Celsius,” so Klarissa Niedermeier. “The dilemma is that there are hardly any materials or standard components available that can transport liquid metals above 500 degrees Celsius without problems.” In the collaboration LIMELISA (Liquid Metal and Liquid Salt Heat Storage System), KIT togehter with KSB SE & Co. KGaA develops high-temperature-resistant pumps and valves for a liquid metal heat storage system currently being built.
Research to Business