Third-Party Funding

Funding Agency
Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

 Research Topic and Project Partners
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) with liquid electrolytes are currently intensely investigated as they are discussed as cheap alternatives for stationary as well as mobile applications. In this project, the utilization of solid-state electrolytes with a high conductivity for sodium ions as well as carbonaceus frameworks shall lead to a transformation towards safer all-solid-state sodium batteries (SSSB).

The “Natter” project is funded since February 2023 by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the project line “Batterie 2020 Transfer”. The overall target is the investigation and evaluation of SSSB which will be composed of carbon/solid-electrolyte composites, sulfidic separators and cobalt-free cathode materials.

The project will be coordinated by Prof. Jürgen Janek (JLU Gießen) and is mainly focussed on the optimisation of novel anodes based on carbonaceous framework structures – but is also considering the other cell components. In addition to the team of JLU Gießen, also researchers from Münster (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster), Berlin (Humboldt‑Universität zu Berlin and Helmholtz‑Zentrum Berlin), Jena (Oschatz group) as well as an industrial representative (Heraeus Kohlenstoff Technology) are part of the consortium. Next to academic members, further industrial partners such as BASF SE, EL-Cell GmbH, Orion Engineered Carbons, rhd instruments GmbH, and Blackstone Technology GmbH belong to the overall council. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the project with ca. 2 Mio €.

Project Duration

02/2023 – 01/2026

 Project Volume

ca. 347 000 EURO (Funding of the Oschatz group)

Funding Agency
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)/Thüringer Aufbaubank

Research Topic and Project Partners
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is a method for the analysis of the chemical composition and chemical bonding motives on the surface of nanomaterials and at their interfaces with other materials. With the collaborative research laboratory NanoLabXPS the interdisciplinary research area “XPS for the development of nanomaterials with tailored interfaces with energy applications and catalysis” will be established at the Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena). Within the collaborative project, interface phenomena at nanomaterials and nanohybrids in energy research and catalysis will be investigated.  

8 out of 9 project partners are scientific members of the CEEC Jena. The Oschatz group acts as the project coordinator. Further partners are the Schacher/Schubert groups (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry), the Turchanin/Dietzek groups (Institute of Physical Chemistry), the Wächtler group (Leibniz Institute for Photonic Technology), the Balducci group (Institute of Technical and Environmental Chemistry), and the Wondraczek group (Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research).

Project Duration

09/2021 – 04/2023

Project Volume

ca. 471.000 EURO

Link to CataLight homepage:

Funding Agency
German Research Foundation (DFG, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft)

Research Topic and Project Partners
The joint transregional Collaborative Research Center "Light-driven Molecular Catalysts in Hierarchically Structured Materials - Synthesis and Mechanistic Studies" („CataLight“) of the University of Ulm and the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena investigates the basic functionality as well as first  applications of innovative photocatalytically active materials. The CRC/TRR CataLight addresses fundamental challenges in the design of photocatalytically active materials for solar energy conversion. Inspired by the design principles of natural photosynthesis in green plants. Within project B10 molecular catalysts are embedded in carbon nitride matrices and their structure-properties in light-driven processes are investigated in strong collaboration with theory and spectroscopy. The project is carried out in collaboration with the research group of Timo Jacob (Ulm University).

Project Duration

07/2022 – 06/2026

Project Volume

ca. 165.000 EURO (Funding of the Oschatz group)

Funding Agency
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)/Thüringer Aufbaubank

Research Topic and Project Partners
The implementation of processes for the separation, transport, and chemical upgrading of carbon dioxide based on energy from renewable sources is essential for the reduction of CO₂ emissions in the future and to achieve negative emissions. The central aim of the research unit DeKarbon is the development of sustainable polymer materials with chemical structure motives that enable adsorptive separation of CO₂, e.g, from flue gas or from air, at high selectivity and the coupling to catalytic conversion.

DeKarbon receives funding of ca. 980.000 EURO from the Federal State of Thuringia and from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) within the program ESF+ in Thuringia from 2023 till 2025. All project partners are scientific members of the CEEC Jena. The Oschatz group acts as the project coordinator. Further partners are the Schubert group (Institute of Organic Chemistry and Macromolecular Chemistry), the Turchanin group (Institute of Physical Chemistry), and the Balducci group (Institute of Technical and Environmental Chemistry).

Project Duration

03/2022 – 12/2025

Project Volume

ca. 370.000 EURO (Funding of the Oschatz group)

Funding Agency

European Research Council

Research Topic and Project Partners

The synthesis of ammonia, one of the most important commodity chemicals is currently carried out by the Haber-Bosch-process, causing approx. 1-2 % of the global carbon dioxide emissions and consuming as much energy. The target of CILCat is therefore, to explore alternative approaches towards the electrochemical generation of ammonia using nitrogen, water, and electricity from renewable sources. Here, room-temperature ionic liquids confined in nanoporous carbons are used to create tailored catalytical nanoenvironments to activate the inert nitrogen molecules, enabling an efficient ammonia synthesis.

CILCat receives a funding of ca. 1.5 Mio € over a period of five years from the European Research Council via an ERC starting grant. The project encompasses funding for two post-doctoral researchers and four PhD students. Prof. Oschatz acts as the project coordinator and is situated at the Institute of Technical and Environmental Chemistry of FSU Jena.

Project Duration

10/2022 – 09/2027

Project Volume

ca. 1 500 000 EURO