ESILIB stands for “Enhanced Silicon-Carbon Composites for Lithium-Ion Batteries.” The four-person team is focusing on metallurgical silicon rather than gaseous silane compounds in the development of new battery materials and combining it with a biomass-based carbon source. The resulting silicon-carbon composite can gradually replace conventional graphite in the battery’s anode. At the same time, the silicon provides a higher storage capacity: “The next generation of lithium-ion batteries is expected to enable up to a 40 percent increase in range for electric vehicles while keeping costs the same,” explains ESILIB team leader Dr. Lukas Dold.

Since silicon expands during charging, the team has developed a material architecture that counteracts rapid wear and tear, thereby enabling industrial use. For the manufacturing process, the researchers rely on an aqueous method that does not require corrosive or other aggressive chemicals. Another advantage of the new anode material is that it can be more cost-effective than silane-based materials and can be sourced entirely from the European supply chain.

Following successful laboratory testing, the team is now preparing for tests of the silicon-carbon composite by battery manufacturers in the EU; the first companies have already expressed interest in the silicon-based material.

A total of 49 teams from all over Germany applied this year for the “From Lab to Market Challenge”—a competition designed to encourage researchers to make the leap from academia to entrepreneurship. The twelve finalists, who presented their projects in Leverkusen on June 25, had previously advanced through preliminary rounds. The focus was on solutions for industrial transformation through defossilization, greater raw material security, and faster decision-making using artificial intelligence.

Three of the winning teams were selected by a panel of experts and the participants in Leverkusen. Another prize was awarded by media partner CHEManager, whose readers had previously cast their votes in a public online poll. The challenge has been organized since 2022 by “chemstars,” a startup initiative of the chemical industry based in Düsseldorf.