Professor Thomas Fässler, Technical University of Munich, Germany, has been awarded the Arfvedson Schlenk Prize by the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCH, German Chemical Society) for his outstanding contributions to lithium-rich intermetallic compounds that could contribute to efficient and safe high-performance lithium batteries in the future.
Thomas Fässler’s research deals with the synthesis, characterization, and theoretical description of materials based on inorganic solids and molecular compounds. Starting with substance classes of intermetallic compounds and Zintl phases with soluble Zintl ions, he investigates novel main-group element-based materials at the transition from molecular compounds to solids. The investigated material classes have potential applications in the areas of energy storage and energy conversion materials as well as solar cells and superconductors as well as catalysts.
Fässler has made important contributions to the field of Zintl phases, in particular to lithium-rich intermetallic compounds. These innovative materials could be of great use as solid-state ion conductors for safe, high-performance lithium batteries.
We met with Thomas Fässler at the GDCh-Wissenschaftsforum Chemie (WiFo 2023) in Leipzig, Germany, and talked about his research, what makes a good scientist, and how he encourages his students to think critically and push the boundaries of knowledge.
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Outstanding contributions to innovative materials for high-performance lithium batteries honored