Department of Electrochemistry and Big Data

Metal components are used in various areas of application, including construction, transportation, medicine and energy technology. In order to design such components sustainably and with low maintenance needs, we must understand in detail how metal components degrade over time.

The “Electrochemistry and Big Data” department deciphers those mechanisms responsible for degradation: How does corrosion develop and how does it spread in a complex environment? To answer these questions, we use highly precise analysis equipment to measure electrochemical quantities and characterize surfaces. In addition, we are searching for corrosion inhibitors that extend the service life of metal components. The number of potential inhibitors, however, is huge and encompasses several million compounds. Promising candidates can be most effectively identified using computer-based methods. This requires extensive data sets that we generate in our department.

During these screening journeys, we also discover and then study in depth the electrolyte additives for aqueous Mg and Zn batteries. They can significantly boost utilization efficiency of Mg-air batteries and alleviate the problem of dendrite formation in Zn-ion batteries.