Name: Thomas Köster
Diploma / M.Sc degree: Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
(June 2006)

PhD Project: NMR studies of the mechanism of cation transport in polymer and composite electrolyte materials

Homepage: http://www.uni-muenster.de/Chemie.pc/wuellen/tkoster.html

Abstract of Research Project

Ion-conducting complexes consisting of lithium salts and polymers are highly promising candidates for the use as electrolyte materials in lithium ion batteries. Electrolyte materials based on polyphosphazenes have attracted particular interest due to their high ionic conductivities. Furthermore, the addition of nano-scaled ceramic particles has proven to increase the conductivities of the parent polymer system by up to two orders of magnitude. As an additional benefit, these so called nano-composite electrolytes exhibit improved mechanical stability. Although a plethora of studies has been dedicated to the synthesis and electrochemical characterisation of these novel materials, the mechanism of ion transport in polymer and composite electrolytes still remains unclear.

In my work, I will study various polyphosphazene and PEO based (nano-composite) electrolyte materials using advanced solid state NMR strategies focusing on structural as well as dynamic features in these materials. In particular, the local coordination of the cations in the (nano-composite) electrolytes will be investigated employing modern dipolar NMR methodologies to obtain detailed insight into the mechanism of ion transport in these novel materials.


Publications

L. van Wüllen, T. K.-J. Köster
The interaction between inorganic Li salts (LiTf, LiNTf2) and the surface of alumina particles as studied with solid state nuclear magnetic resonance
Solid State Ionics 180(2-3) (2009), 141-147.


Thomas Köster
eMail: Thomas Köster