Uppsala University · Department of Chemistry – Ångström Laboratory
Electrode–electrolyte interphases are nanometre-thin layers that form where a battery electrode meets the liquid electrolyte. Despite their size, they govern ion transport, chemical stability, and ultimately the lifetime and safety of rechargeable batteries. We engineer these interphases across several battery chemistries and build the tools to study and optimise them.
| Area | Focus |
|---|---|
| Lithium-ion | How electrolyte composition shapes the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), cycle life, and fast-charge tolerance |
| Zinc-zinc | Suppressing hydrogen evolution and hydroxide passivation to reach reversible Zn plating and stripping |
| Iron-ion | Earth-abundant aqueous Fe chemistry for grid-scale storage. Interphase engineering against parasitic side reactions |
Across all three we study ion intercalation and metal plating/stripping reactions and electrolyte decomposition pathways — controlling nucleation, morphology, and Coulombic efficiency for high-capacity, dendrite-free energy storage.
- Electrolyte exploration and exploitation — formulation as the lever for tuning interphase chemistry
- Advanced Operando Characterization — Online Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry (OEMS) for real-time gas evolution and decomposition pathways, Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (EQCM-D) for simultaneous nanogram mass and viscoelastic response as interphases grow and dissolve, Operando Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) to identify and quantify the nature, onset, and evolution of interphase compounds
- Self-driving laboratories — automated electrochemical testing closed-loop with machine learning to navigate large compositional spaces
We open-source the instrument control, protocol tooling, and data-format work that comes out of the group.
- palmsens-ui — PySide6 desktop app for running PalmSens measurements, live plotting, temperature-chamber coordination, and export to Battery Data Format
- protocol-creator — Aurora Method Builder: visual and JSON editor for cycling protocols, exported as PalmSens MethodSCRIPT
... more to come.
Prof. Erik J. Berg — erik.j.berg@uu.se
Google Scholar · ORCID · Uppsala University staff page
We welcome enquiries from prospective PhD students and postdocs.
