Solid-state batteries are considered a key technology for the future: they can store more energy and do not rely on flammable materials like current lithium-ion batteries. Researchers at TUM and TUMint.Energy Research have now taken a significant step towards improving solid-state batteries. They developed a new material made of lithium, antimony and scandium that conducts lithium ions more than 30% faster than any previously known material. Dr. Anatoliy Senyshyn, head of the structural research group at the MLZ and instrument scientist at SPODI, also helped with this work.

24 girls between the ages of 14 and 18 responded to this call on the nationwide Girls’ Day on April 3, 2025 and visited the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum in Garching. There, they learned about what can be researched using neutrons first-hand from the female scientists.

When charged, the graphite anode in a Li-ion battery (LIB) can be exposed to temperature- driven changes, causing structural degradation and negatively affecting its performance. X-rays and neutrons help to reveal the underlying processes behind these changes.