PhD Award of the GDCh Division of Chemistry & Energy

The PhD Award was awarded to Dr. Konstantin Schutjajew on the occasion of the 2023 Division conference , GREEN Materials – Processes – Industry, in recognition of his outstanding dissertation entitled “Electrochemical Sodium Storage in Non-Graphitizing Carbons – Insights into Mechanisms and Synthetic Approaches towards High-Energy Density Materials” completed at the University of Potsdam.

"As part of his dissertation, Mr. Schutjajew investigated new mechanisms for the storage of sodium in quasi-metallic form in carbon materials. In doing so, he boldly and creatively pursued new and unconventional working hypotheses and at the same time developed new analytical methods. Mr. Schutjajew was able to demonstrate the possibility of reversible underpotential deposition of sodium and the relationships between the electrochemical signature and the structure of the carbon materials. He also developed concepts for the targeted production of carbon materials with so-called closed pores and thus high plateau capacity. The effects of Mr. Schutjajew's work will not be limited to the field of sodium batteries, but will also drive forward material development for other electrochemical energy storage concepts.

The award of this prize should encourage Mr. Shutyaev as a young researcher to consistently pursue the path he has chosen and the search for creative and unconventional chemical solutions to the energy issues of the coming years."