Announcements

Conference: The 11th Academic Conference on Key Materials for Supercapacitors and Related Chemical Power Sources (2026)
Organization: Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Institute of Energy Storage Engineering of the Chemical Industry and Engineering Society of China, Editorial Office of Energy Storage Science and Technology
Date: 23–25 October 2026
Place: Nanjing, China

MDPI will attend the 11th Academic Conference on Key Materials for Supercapacitors and Related Chemical Power Sources 2026, held in Nanjing, China, from 23 to 25 October 2026.

Under the theme “Supercapacitors and Related Chemical Power Sources in the Context of New Quality Productive Forces”, the conference examines domestic and global research dynamics, cutting-edge topics and future industrial trends of electrochemical energy storage technologies. It further builds a platform for interaction and cooperation among universities, research institutions and enterprises, providing valuable exchange opportunities for experts, scholars, researchers, technical professionals and enterprise managers across all relevant fields.

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Batteries;
• Energies;
• Clean Technologies.

If you plan to attend this conference, we invite you to visit us at booth #8. Our representatives will be available to discuss publishing opportunities and the benefits of open access, and answer any questions you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the official website at http://www.cnclycjdrq.com/.

Conference Name: 77th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry
Conference Date: 6–11 September 2026
Location: Sydney, Australia

MDPI will attend the 77th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 6 to 11 September 2026.

Sydney is a global leader in technology: it ranks as the seventh most significant digital city in the world, and is the home of major technology-based companies such as the hearing implant pioneer Cochlear and the medical equipment company ResMed. Sydney is also home to the top-ranking start-up ecosystem in the southern hemisphere. The conference is held within 6 km from three of the world’s top-ranking universities, with world-leading programs in solar cell technology, quantum computing and medical technologies. The local scientific community is keen to engage with our ISE visitors. We look forward to welcoming you to Sydney in 2026!

The scientific program offers plenary lectures, symposia, and tutorials related to the following fields of electrochemistry:

• Electroanalytical chemistry;
• Electrocatalysis;
• Batteries;
• Fuel cells;
• Corrosion;
• Single-entity electrochemistry (molecular, analytical, and physical);
• Scanning probe electrochemical microscopy;
• Energy;
• Ammonia synthesis;
• Hydrogen generation;
• Electrochemiluminescence;
• Photoelectrocatalysis;
• Minerals electrochemistry;
• Ionic liquid electrochemistry;
• Liquid/liquid electrochemistry;
• Solar cells;
• Microbial electrochemical systems;
• Electrochemistry for medicine/point of care;
• Devices/manufacturing;
• Wearables.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Batteries;
• Energies;
• Sci;
• Electrochem;
• Analytica;
• Physchem;
• Solids;
• Biosensors;
• Chemistry;
• Molecules;
• Solar;
• Clean Technol.;
• Electronic Materials;
• Fuels;
• Reactions;
• Surfaces.

If you are planning to attend the conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #14 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.ise-online.org/meetings/annual77/#gsc.tab=0.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award.

After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the following winner was selected:

“Review on Modeling and SOC/SOH Estimation of Batteries for Automotive Applications”
by Pierpaolo Dini, Antonio Colicelli and Sergio Saponara
Batteries 2024, 10(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10010034
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/1/34

Information about authors:

The following is an interview with Dr. Pierpaolo Dini:

Background and Inspiration

1. Could you introduce yourself or your research group?

I am a Researcher and Assistant Professor of Electronics at the Department of Information Engineering of the University of Pisa, where my research focuses on the design of advanced electronic systems for automotive, industrial, and energy applications. My work mainly covers battery management systems, power electronics, electric drives, embedded systems, model-based design, and the integration of artificial intelligence for monitoring, diagnostics, and predictive maintenance. A distinctive aspect of my research is the combination of rigorous system modeling with practical implementation on resource-constrained embedded platforms, aiming to bridge the gap between theoretical developments and real industrial applications.

This award-winning review was developed within the framework of a European collaborative research project involving universities, research centers, and industrial partners. Our research group strongly believes in multidisciplinary collaboration, bringing together expertise in electronics, control engineering, embedded systems, battery technologies, and artificial intelligence. Working in such an international environment allowed us to continuously compare different perspectives and practical requirements, ultimately helping us produce a review that is not only scientifically comprehensive but also highly relevant for researchers and engineers working on next-generation Battery Management Systems.

2. Can you please share what inspired your research?

The inspiration for this review emerged naturally from our involvement in a European collaborative research project focused on electrified mobility and advanced battery management systems. During the project, we continuously interacted with researchers, industrial partners, and technology developers working on different aspects of battery modeling, state estimation, and system integration. We realized that although a vast amount of scientific literature was available, the knowledge was often fragmented across different disciplines, ranging from electrochemical and equivalent circuit models to artificial intelligence and data-driven estimation techniques.

Our objective was therefore not simply to summarize the literature, but to provide a structured framework capable of connecting modeling approaches with state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH) estimation methods, highlighting their respective advantages, limitations, and application domains. We wanted to create a reference that could support both newcomers entering the field and experienced researchers seeking a comprehensive overview of the rapidly evolving battery research landscape.

3. In your career of battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?

Prof. Sergio Saponara has undoubtedly been the person who has had the greatest influence on my scientific development. Throughout my PhD and subsequent research career, he has been much more than a supervisor. He has taught me to approach research with scientific rigor while always keeping a strong engineering perspective, ensuring that theoretical developments ultimately address real industrial challenges.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned from him is the importance of combining analytical thinking with practical applicability. Rather than pursuing elegant theoretical solutions alone, he encouraged me to develop methodologies that could eventually be implemented, validated, and transferred into real engineering systems.

This philosophy is clearly reflected in our review. Instead of presenting battery modeling and estimation techniques as isolated academic topics, we organized the paper from a system-level engineering perspective, discussing how different approaches fit specific automotive applications and Battery Management System requirements. I believe this practical viewpoint has been one of the key strengths appreciated by the research community.

Publishing Experience

4. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?

We chose Batteries because it has established itself as an important international forum dedicated to battery science, technologies, and applications, attracting contributions from both academia and industry. Since our review aimed to address researchers working across multiple disciplines—including electronics, electrochemistry, control engineering, artificial intelligence, and automotive systems—we considered Batteries the most appropriate venue to reach this diverse audience.

Our publishing experience was extremely positive. The editorial process was well organized, and the peer-review comments were constructive and technically valuable. The reviewers encouraged us to further improve the clarity and completeness of the manuscript, ultimately strengthening its quality. Receiving the Best Paper Award is particularly meaningful because it confirms that the paper has generated interest within the scientific community and that the effort invested in producing a comprehensive and balanced review has been appreciated.

Research Process and Challenges

5. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?

The greatest challenge was not collecting the literature itself, but organizing an extremely broad and heterogeneous body of knowledge into a coherent and useful framework. Battery research spans multiple disciplines, including electrochemistry, electrical engineering, control theory, embedded systems, and artificial intelligence, each with its own terminology, evaluation criteria, and research priorities.

Our objective was to develop a review that would go beyond a simple collection of existing publications. We carefully analyzed the relationships between battery models and SOC/SOH estimation algorithms, identifying common principles, practical trade-offs, computational requirements, and typical application scenarios. Maintaining objectivity throughout this process required extensive discussion among the authors and multiple revisions of the manuscript.

In the end, we believe this systematic organization transformed the review into a practical reference rather than merely a bibliographic survey.

6. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?

Feedback played a fundamental role throughout both the research activities that inspired this review and the manuscript preparation itself. Working within an international collaborative project meant continuously discussing ideas with researchers from different scientific backgrounds as well as engineers from industrial partners. These interactions often challenged our initial assumptions and encouraged us to consider practical constraints alongside theoretical developments.

The peer-review process provided an additional opportunity to refine the manuscript. The reviewers’ comments motivated us to improve the organization of several sections, clarify comparisons between different methodologies, and better highlight the practical implications of the reviewed techniques.

Overall, these different forms of feedback reinforced one important lesson: high-quality research is rarely the result of individual work alone but rather emerges through continuous scientific discussion, constructive criticism, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

7. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?

Battery technologies are advancing at an extraordinary pace, creating new challenges that extend far beyond electrochemistry alone. One of the major issues is the development of accurate, robust, and computationally efficient battery management systems capable of operating reliably under highly dynamic real-world conditions throughout the battery lifetime.

Another important challenge concerns the integration of physics-based models with artificial intelligence. While data-driven approaches have demonstrated remarkable capabilities, they often face limitations regarding interpretability, robustness, and generalization under operating conditions not represented in the training data. Future research should therefore focus on hybrid methodologies that combine physical knowledge with machine learning, leveraging the strengths of both paradigms.

Finally, stronger collaboration between academia and industry will be essential to validate new methodologies using realistic datasets and practical operating conditions, accelerating the transfer of scientific advances into commercial battery systems.

Teamwork and Collaboration

8. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?

My primary responsibility was coordinating the scientific development of the review, including the definition of its overall structure, the critical analysis of the literature, and the integration of the various technical contributions into a coherent manuscript. I also led much of the writing process, ensuring consistency across the different sections and maintaining a system-level perspective throughout the paper.

This work greatly benefited from teamwork. Professor Sergio Saponara continuously provided scientific guidance and strategic direction, helping us maintain both technical rigor and a broader engineering vision. Antonio Colicelli contributed through his experience in managing the collaborative research activities within the European project and supported the preparation of the manuscript by ensuring alignment with the project’s technical objectives.

The combination of complementary expertise allowed us to produce a review that is technically comprehensive while remaining closely connected to the practical challenges encountered in industrial and research environments.

Future Insights

9. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?

I believe the future of battery technology will be increasingly driven by the convergence of advanced modeling, artificial intelligence, and digitalization. Battery management systems will evolve from passive monitoring platforms into intelligent systems capable of continuously estimating battery states, predicting degradation, optimizing charging strategies, and supporting predictive maintenance throughout the battery lifecycle.

Hybrid approaches combining physics-based models, data-driven techniques, and digital twins are likely to become increasingly important, enabling more accurate and explainable battery diagnostics while maintaining computational efficiency suitable for embedded implementation.

At the same time, the availability of connected vehicles and cloud infrastructures will facilitate continuous data collection and fleet-level analysis, allowing battery models to be continuously updated and refined. These developments will contribute not only to improving battery safety and reliability but also to extending battery lifetime and enhancing the sustainability of electrified transportation.

Advice and Impact

10. What impact do you hope your research will have, and what key innovation do you see in your paper?

I hope this review will serve as a valuable reference for researchers, engineers, and graduate students working on battery technologies, particularly those entering the field of battery management systems. Rather than promoting a specific modeling or estimation technique, our objective was to provide a structured and balanced framework that helps readers understand when different approaches are most appropriate, what assumptions they rely on, and which trade-offs they involve.

The main contribution of the paper lies in its system-level perspective. We integrated battery modeling techniques and SOC/SOH estimation methodologies into a unified framework while emphasizing their practical implications for automotive applications. By connecting theoretical developments with engineering implementation aspects, we aimed to facilitate informed design decisions and stimulate future research toward more reliable, explainable, and computationally efficient battery management solutions.

Ultimately, I hope this work encourages stronger collaboration between academia and industry, contributing to the development of safer, more efficient, and more sustainable electrified mobility systems.

Conference: The 33rd CSCST-SCI Conference
Organization:  The Chinese Society of Chemical Science and Technology (UK); University of Cambridge
Date: 1–2 September 2026
Place: Cambridge, UK

Welcome to the 33rd CSCST-SCI Conference that will take place from 1 to 2 September 2026 in Cambridge, UK.

The CSCST-SCI Annual Conference offers a valuable opportunity to engage with a dynamic network of Chinese chemists and chemical engineers working across academia and industry in the UK. The event brings together researchers at all career stages to exchange ideas, explore emerging trends and foster collaboration in chemical science and technology.

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Batteries;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Molbank;
• Solar;
• Molecules;
• AppliedChem;
• Clean Technologies;
• Fuels;
• Nanoenergy Advances;
• ChemEngineering;
• Laboratories;
• Methane.

If you are attending the 33rd CSCST-SCI Conference, we invite you to visit us at our booth. Our representatives will be available to discuss publishing opportunities, the benefits of open access, and answer any questions that you may have.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected:

“Surface Reduction of Li₂CO₃ on LLZTO Solid-State Electrolyte via Scalable Open-Air Plasma Treatment”
by Mohammed Sahal, Jinzhao Guo, Candace K. Chan and Nicholas Rolston
Batteries 2024, 10(7), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10070249
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/7/249

Information about authors:

The following is an interview with Dr. Nicholas Rolston:

Background and Inspiration
1. Could you please introduce yourself or your research group?
Our research group develops the next generation of energy materials and devices—solar cells, batteries, and semiconductors—with a main focus: making them manufacturable at low cost, processable in open air, and durable enough to survive relevant operating environments. Our work brings together fundamental materials science with the engineering challenges of scalable production.

2. What inspired your research?
Next-generation materials are often widely studied across academia, from solid-state batteries to perovskite photovoltaics. However, the main paradigm used is to design for performance to achieve metrics such as high energy densities or power conversion efficiencies. While important, these approaches do not always provide a translational impact to industry relevance if produced using non-scalable methods or processes with low throughput and/or high capital expenditures.

3. In your career of battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?
My PhD advisor, Reiner Dauskardt, pioneered efforts in open-air manufacturing and rapid processing methods. His guidance and inspiration has been instrumental in the perspectives that I carry with me in research.

Publishing Experience
4. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?
Publishing with Batteries has been a tremendous experience, particularly due to the timely manner in which we received reviewer comments combined with the depth of feedback received from their comments. The ability to publish open access in Batteries is also very much appreciated.

Research Process and Challenges
5. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge our team faced was the reactivity of the materials after open-air plasma treatment, as we had to adapt an approach to quickly transfer treated samples into a glovebox and then used an air-tight transfer vessel to transport them for further characterization. In a real manufacturing environment, the subsequent layer would directly be coated on top of the treated material, but we wanted to isolate the effect of plasma and therefore needed to limit their exposure to oxygen and moisture after treatment.

6. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?
Based on initial feedback from our group discussions, we performed additional X-ray diffraction (XRD) and surface morphology characterization to complement the XPS analysis, confirming that open-air plasma-mediated reduction of Li₂CO₃ on LLZO does not adversely affect its surface morphology or crystal structure. In response to reviewer feedback, we added quantitative analysis of the spectroscopy data including peak fitting and baselining while also contextualizing the implications of the practical use cases for open-air plasma treatment in future battery materials research.

7. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?
There is such a large number of researchers across the world who are studying battery materials and devices, and a consistent challenge from my perspective is the ability to develop approaches that are useful and adaptable to industry for further development. I believe that additional academic–industry partnerships are needed to address these challenges and to ensure academia is pursuing the right questions that are valuable for technology development.

Teamwork and Collaboration
8. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?
I mainly helped provide context on considering processing parameters for open-air plasma treatment. The rest of the team was instrumental in conducting the research itself and generating the data. Prof. Chan was especially key in aiding the interpretation of the results and guiding our team in ensuring that the proper battery material characterization approaches were leveraged.

Future Insights
9. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
Solid-state batteries offer significant potential as the next generation of battery technology; however, the production of solid-state electrolytes overwhelmingly relies on antiquated furnace-based production processes involving line speeds with throughputs that are >3 orders of magnitude slower than Li-ion batteries. In order to reach manufacturing scales, I think it is critically important that process throughputs are considered in the design processes.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected:

“Binders for Li-Ion Battery Technologies and Beyond: A Comprehensive Review”
by Muskan Srivastava, Anil Kumar M. R. and Karim Zaghib
Batteries 2024, 10(8), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10080268
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/8/268

Information about authors:

	Name: Ms. Muskan Srivastava Affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada Biography: Muskan Srivastava completed her master’s degree in chemical engineering at Concordia University, Canada, under the supervision of Prof. Karim Zaghib. Her graduate research focused on lithium-ion battery technologies, sustainable battery materials, and life cycle assessment. She contributed to research on polymer binders for advanced battery systems and the development of comprehensive reviews on emerging battery technologies.
	Name: Dr. Anil Kumar M. R. Affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada Biography: Dr. Anil Kumar Madikere Raghunatha Reddy received his PhD in chemistry and has over 12 years of research experience. He has published numerous research articles, books, and book chapters in international peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to research in nanoscience and nanotechnology, lithium-ion batteries and beyond, materials science, and photocatalysis. His work focuses on the development of advanced materials for energy and environmental applications.
	Name: Karim Zaghib Affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Concordia University, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada Biography: Prof. Karim Zaghib is a globally recognized scientist specializing in electrochemistry, rechargeable batteries, energy storage, carbon materials, and transportation electrification. He is a Professor of Chemical and Materials Engineering at Concordia University and the CEO of Volt-age, with more than 28 years of experience in battery research and development at Hydro-Québec. His contributions have significantly advanced lithium-ion battery technologies, including lithium iron phosphate cathodes, graphite anodes, and next-generation energy storage systems.

The following is an interview with Ms. Muskan Srivastava:

Background and Inspiration

1. Could you introduce yourself or your research group?
I completed my master’s in chemical engineering at Concordia University, where I conducted research under the supervision of Prof. Karim Zaghib. During my graduate studies, my work focused on battery materials and sustainable energy storage. As part of this work, I contributed to a comprehensive review on polymer binders for lithium-ion batteries, which provided an opportunity to explore the evolving role of binder materials across current and next-generation battery systems. Working within Prof. Zaghib’s research group gave me valuable experience in scientific research, critical analysis, and collaborative problem-solving.

2. Please share what inspired your research.
During my master’s, I became interested in the broader challenge of enabling a sustainable energy transition. Batteries play a central role in electrification, and I was fascinated by how progress depends not only on active materials but also on supporting components and sustainable manufacturing approaches. Working on different aspects of battery research, from material supply considerations to life cycle assessment and binder technologies, helped me appreciate how interdisciplinary the field has become. That perspective inspired the development of this review paper.

3. During your career in battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?
Prof. Karim Zaghib had the greatest influence on my scientific thinking during my graduate studies. He consistently emphasized understanding both the scientific principles and the practical relevance of research, while maintaining a rigorous and objective approach to the literature. His guidance encouraged us to develop a review that was comprehensive, well-structured, and balanced, helping readers understand both established knowledge and emerging directions in binder technologies.

Publishing Experience

4. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?
We chose to publish our work in Batteries because it is a well-established journal dedicated to advancing research in battery science and energy storage. The journal provides an excellent platform for sharing both fundamental and applied research with a global audience of researchers, engineers, and industry professionals. Our experience throughout the publication process was very positive, the editorial team and reviewers were professional, efficient, and provided constructive feedback that helped improve the clarity and quality of our manuscript.

Research Process and Challenges

5. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was reviewing and organizing a rapidly expanding body of literature. Binder technologies have evolved significantly and span different chemistries, applications, and performance requirements. We addressed this by carefully evaluating the available research, organizing the literature into clear themes, and maintaining a consistent framework that allowed readers to compare different approaches in a logical way.

6. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?
Feedback from Prof. Zaghib and my co-author, Anil Kumar M. R., was invaluable throughout the project. Their experience helped refine the scope of the review, identify important developments that should be included, and improve the overall flow of the manuscript. The collaborative discussions encouraged a more critical evaluation of the literature and ultimately resulted in a more comprehensive review.

7. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?While battery technology has advanced considerably, important challenges remain in improving energy density, safety, affordability, raw material sustainability, and recycling. Addressing these challenges will require continued innovation across the entire battery value chain, from materials development and manufacturing to recycling and life cycle assessment. Close collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers will continue to play an important role in accelerating progress.

Teamwork and Collaboration

8. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?
My primary responsibilities involved conducting an extensive literature review, analyzing published research, organizing technical information, and contributing to the writing and preparation of the manuscript. Because the paper covered a broad and multidisciplinary topic, teamwork was essential. Each team member contributed complementary expertise, and the collaborative discussions helped ensure that the review was both technically accurate and comprehensive.

Future Insights

9. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
We believe the future of battery technology will be driven by advances in safer and more sustainable materials, improvements in manufacturing processes, greater emphasis on recycling and circular economy approaches, and the development of next-generation battery chemistries. At the same time, increasing attention to the environmental impacts of battery production through life cycle assessment will support more sustainable technology development.

Advice and Impact

10. What impact do you hope your research will have, and what key innovation do you see in your paper?
We hope this review serves as a valuable reference for students, researchers, and professionals entering the field of battery materials. Because binder technologies are often discussed across many individual publications, our goal was to provide a single, comprehensive resource that summarizes existing knowledge, highlights recent developments, and identifies opportunities for future research. Receiving the Batteries Best Paper Award has been especially meaningful, as it recognizes the value of bringing together knowledge that can support future advances in battery research.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected:

“A Review of Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling: Technologies, Sustainability, and Open Issues”
by Alessandra Zanoletti, Eleonora Carena, Chiara Ferrara and Elza Bontempi
Batteries 2024, 10(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10010038
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/1/38

Information about authors:

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Elza Bontempi and Dr. Chiara Ferrara:

Background and Inspiration
1. Could you please introduce yourself or your research group?
Elza Bontempi: I am a Full Professor at the University of Brescia in the Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory (coordinated by professor Depero), and I am in charge of the interdisciplinary research on sustainable materials, circular economy, and critical raw materials recovery. Our group combines chemistry, materials science, and environmental engineering to develop innovative solutions for resource efficiency and industrial sustainability. Battery recycling represents one of our main research activities, with the goal of transforming end-of-life batteries into a valuable source of secondary raw materials while supporting the transition towards a circular economy.
Chiara Ferrara: I recently got the position of Associate Professor in Chemistry, and I am part of MATEC (Materials Electrochemistry Cluster) together with Prof. Piercarlo Mustarelli, Prof. Riccardo Ruffo, and Dr. Nicolò Pianta. Within this group, I am in charge of the design and structural characterization of active materials for batteries and I am developing my own research line on the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) together with Eleonora, who has been in the group since her bachelor’s degree and was engaged in the topic of LIBs recycling during her PhD.
In this context, both Elza and Chiara take the opportunity to sincerely acknowledge Cariplo Foundation for the research grants COLIBRI “Cathode Recovery for Lithium Ion Battery Recycling” (2021-0610) and Tech4Lib: Low-energy technologies for circular economy of spent lithium-ions batteries based on enhanced microwave effects (CUP D73C23000170007), that enabled the research, made this collaboration between UNIBS and UNIMIB possible, and provided the opportunity for the training and formation of Alessandra and Eleonora as young researchers.

2. What inspired your research?
Elza Bontempi: My research has always been inspired by the challenge of combining scientific excellence with environmental sustainability. The rapid growth of lithium-ion battery production makes recycling a strategic necessity rather than an option. This review was motivated by the need to critically assess the current state of battery recycling technologies, identify knowledge gaps, and provide researchers, industry, and policymakers with a comprehensive framework for future developments.
Chiara Ferrara: The research associated with this paper was driven by my strong interest in understanding the real case scenarios related to the field of lithium-ion batteries recycling. As a fast-evolving field, having a global and updated overview of the main challenges, available technologies, and future possible development is essential.

3. In your career of battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?
Elza Bontempi: Rather than a single mentor, my scientific thinking has been shaped by collaborations with researchers from different disciplines and by continuous interaction with industry and policy stakeholders. This multidisciplinary perspective has influenced both my research path and the writing of this review, encouraging a balanced approach that integrates scientific evidence, technological feasibility, environmental sustainability, and practical implementation.

Publishing Experience
4. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?
Chiara Ferrara: Elza and I were selected as Guest Editors for Batteries for the Special Issue “Recent Process of Recycling of Lithium-ion Batteries”; the Special Issue was particularly successful and was indeed renewed. As Guest Editors, we decided to contribute with a review paper. Batteries is an excellent platform for disseminating open access interdisciplinary research on electrochemical energy storage and sustainability.

Research Process and Challenges
5. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
Elza Bontempi: The battery recycling field is evolving extremely rapidly, with continuous technological developments and changing regulatory frameworks. The main challenge was to provide a comprehensive, balanced, and up-to-date overview while maintaining a critical scientific perspective. Close collaboration among all co-authors, each contributing complementary expertise, allowed us to critically evaluate the available literature and identify the most relevant trends and open issues.
Chiara Ferrara: The main challenge from my point of view was to get a comprehensive and at the same time critical vision of the state-of-the-art developments in the field of recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries and to clearly discuss the relevant technologies, limitations, and future perspectives. At the same time, the huge variety of the existing literature and screening of high-quality materials is another challenging point. Open discussion and meetings with colleagues and the other authors involved in this paper were essential to concentrate the effort and simplify as much as possible the critical discussion.

6. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?
Elza Bontempi: Feedback is fundamental to scientific progress. Discussions within our research team, interactions with collaborators from other institutions, and comments received from the scientific community have continuously helped refine our research questions and improve our interpretation of results. This exchange of ideas was particularly valuable in preparing such a broad review article.
Chiara Ferrara: Feedback is essential to drive and direct research. Again, open discussion and meetings with colleagues and the other authors of this review was the pillar for the advancement of our work.

7. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?
Elza Bontempi: One of the greatest challenges is developing sustainable and economically viable battery value chains. This includes designing batteries for recycling, improving the recovery of critical raw materials, reducing environmental impacts, and scaling innovative recycling technologies from laboratory to industrial implementation. These objectives require strong collaboration among academia, industry, and policymakers, supported by appropriate regulatory frameworks and life-cycle thinking.
Chiara Ferrara: The main challenge I am facing is to fill the gap between the academic perspective and the industrial benchmark technologies, both in the development of new materials and components, as well as understanding of mechanisms and development of recycling strategies at laboratory scale.

Teamwork and Collaboration
8. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?
Elza Bontempi: The success of this review was made possible by the complementary expertise of all co-authors and by the close collaboration between the University of Brescia and the University of Milano-Bicocca. Teamwork enabled us to combine different perspectives and produce a comprehensive and balanced review.
Chiara Ferrara: I am the coordinator of my fresh-new research group dedicated to the recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries. Eleonora was the first PhD student engaged in this activity and her presence was essential for the development of research activities. Among the other papers, this review represents another example of successful teamwork and enthusiasm within the UNIMIB unit. Similarly, the high interest, enthusiasm, and activity of the UNIBS group headed by Elza was the promoting driving force at the basis of this work.

Future Insights
9. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
Elza Bontempi: The future of battery technology will be strongly influenced by sustainability. Beyond the development of new battery chemistries, increasing attention will be devoted to eco-design, second-life applications, direct recycling, regeneration strategies, and the efficient recovery of critical raw materials. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, and advanced characterization techniques will also play an increasingly important role in optimizing battery production, use, and recycling.
Chiara Ferrara: Within the specific field of battery recycling, I believe direct recycling and regeneration will have a central role in future. At the same time, the cross-contamination between lithium- and sodium-ion batteries production and recycling pathways will have more and more relevance.

Advice and Impact
10. What impact do you hope your research will have, and what key innovation do you see in your paper?
Elza Bontempi: We hope this review will serve as a valuable reference for researchers, industry, and decision-makers by providing a comprehensive and critical overview of lithium-ion battery recycling technologies. The main innovation of the paper lies in its integrated perspective, combining technological, environmental, economic, and sustainability aspects to highlight both current achievements and future research priorities. Ultimately, we hope it will contribute to accelerating the transition towards a more circular and sustainable battery value chain.
Chiara Ferrara: We hope our paper can provide an overview of the main challenges faced in lithium-ion batteries recycling and promote further discussion and critical thinking on the variety of topics related to this topic. Also, an equally important goal is to raise awareness on the topic of sustainability and to draw attention to the consideration of the full life cycle of materials and devices.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected:

“Characterization of Lithium-Ion Battery Fire Emissions—Part 1: Chemical Composition of Fine Particles (PM_2.5)”
by Matthew Claassen, Bjoern Bingham, Judith C. Chow, John G. Watson, Yan Wang and Xiaoliang Wang
Batteries 2024, 10(9), 301; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10090301
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/9/301

Information about authors:

The following is an interview with Mr. Matthew Claassen:

Background and Inspiration
1. Could you please introduce yourself or your research group?
The Desert Research Institute (DRI) in Reno, Nevada, conducts environmental research on a wide array of topics. Within DRI, the Environmental Analysis Facility (EAF) specializes in chemical characterization of air, water, and soil pollutants. Dr. Xiaoliang Wang has established an active research program within EAF focused on fire emissions and fire safety, including the characterization of emissions from combustion of Li-ion batteries (LIBs), municipal solid waste, spacecraft-relevant materials, and biomass. The group is also developing improved methods for the early detection of LIB fires. I have worked at EAF for the past seven years and have had the pleasure of contributing to these research efforts both professionally and as part of my MS studies.

2. What inspired your research?
I have personally been interested in LIB from a renewable energy and sustainability perspective for many years. My first internship during my bachelor’s degree was at an electric vehicle manufacturer where I learned both the capabilities of LIB technology and the risks inherent in such high energy densities. After joining EAF, it was a natural progression to investigate the emissions present when these same LIB cells fail and combust. Our project was initially funded by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to evaluate the fire risks of LIBs in space applications.

3. In your career of battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?
My MS thesis advisor and the corresponding author of this paper, Dr. Xiaoliang Wang, has tirelessly helped me to grow from a freshly graduated undergraduate student to a researcher helping to advance scientific understanding. His guidance has influenced not only my approach to scientific inquiry but also my writing. Throughout the preparation of this paper, he provided invaluable feedback on developing the manuscript outline, presenting the key results, articulating the main conclusions, and discussing the broader implications and limitations of the study.

Publishing Experience
4. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?
Over the course of our research, Batteries has become one of the main sources of literature on LIB fire safety. We found that many of the papers published in the journal are of high quality and highly relevant to our research. As a result, it was a natural choice for us to publish our work in Batteries as well.
Our publication experience with Batteries has been very positive. Although the journal offers an accelerated review process, the reviewers consistently provided professional, constructive, and insightful feedback that helped improve our manuscripts. The entire process, from submission to publication, was efficient, well organized, and timely.

Research Process and Challenges
5. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges we faced was the inherently unpredictable nature of LIB thermal runaway. Even under nominally identical experimental conditions, the combustion behavior and resulting emissions varied substantially from test to test. To address this challenge, we conducted three or four replicate experiments for each test condition to capture the natural variability and ensure that our findings were robust and representative.

6. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?
The best feedback I received during my research was to include as much analysis as possible without getting “into the weeds”, meaning getting into too fine of detail so as to distract the reader from the principal findings. This advice helped me focus on the most important aspects of the project and deliver digestible and usable and information to the scientific community.

7. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?
The primary challenge for battery failure and combustion research is the huge variety of Li-ion cell form-factors and chemistries currently in use. Due to both widely varied uses and rapid technological innovation, hundreds of different cell types are available, not to mention different manufacturers and battery pack configurations. Consequently, the combustion behavior and resulting emissions from failing cells can vary substantially, limiting the applicability of published results to specific cell types or end-use scenarios. Much more research is therefore needed to provide a comprehensive picture of expected emissions.

Teamwork and Collaboration
8. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?
I led the experimental campaign and data analysis but was assisted by the other members of the research team throughout the project. Their contributions came in many forms, including instrument calibration, experimental preparation, emission measurements, filter preparation and analysis, data collection and analysis, literature review, paper revisions, and many other essential tasks. There are an inordinate number of steps to experimental research and I was lucky to be able to work with a team of highly capable researchers who shared the workload and helped me grow professionally. Their expertise and support were invaluable throughout the project.

Future Insights
9. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
We hope that solid state battery designs can be designed to be less flammable and emit less toxic combustion products than current liquid-electrolyte designs. This will allow end users to enjoy the benefits of rechargeable, high energy-density storage with fewer potentially catastrophic risks.

Advice and Impact
10. What impact do you hope your research will have, and what key innovation do you see in your paper?
We hope that our research provides valuable information for improving LIB fire detection, assessing the environmental impacts of smoke emissions, designing proper personal protection equipment for people near fires, such as first responders, and implementing effective post-fire cleanup strategies. The key innovation presented in this paper is a comprehensive characterization of the chemical composition of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) that is most easily inhaled and poses significant health risks to exposed individuals. The composition of these fine particles differs significantly from that of the larger settled particles reported in previous studies. Two companion papers also present the size distributions as well as the emission factors of these particles and gaseous contaminants, providing a more complete understanding of gas and particulate emissions from LIB fires.

All papers published in 2024 in Batteries (ISSN 2313-0105) were considered for the Batteries 2024 Best Paper Award. After a thorough evaluation of the originality and significance of the papers, citations, and downloads, the winner was selected:

“Sodium Citrate Electrolyte Additive to Improve Zinc Anode Behavior in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries”
by Xin Liu, Liang Yue, Weixu Dong, Yifan Qu, Xianzhong Sun and Lifeng Chen
Batteries 2024, 10(3), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10030097
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/3/97

Information about authors:

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Lifeng Chen:

Background and Inspiration
1. What inspired your research?
This work was inspired by a very practical problem in aqueous zinc-ion batteries: zinc metal is safe, low-cost, and abundant, but the zinc anode is not stable enough. Dendrites, corrosion, and side reactions can quickly damage the battery. We wanted to find a simple and environmentally friendly way to regulate the electrolyte and protect the zinc anode. Sodium citrate caught our attention because it is low-cost, naturally abundant, and has rich functional groups that can interact with water and zinc ions.

2. In your career of battery research, which mentor or predecessor has had the greatest influence on your scientific thinking? How does this influence reflect on the writing style of this paper or the choice of research path?
I was deeply influenced by Prof. Shu-Hong Yu during my doctoral and postdoctoral training. What I learned from him is to start from fundamental materials chemistry, but always keep real applications in mind. That thinking is reflected in this paper. We did not just report better cycling data; we tried to explain why sodium citrate works, from solvation structure to hydrogen bonding, ion transport, corrosion behavior, and zinc deposition. In writing the paper, we also tried to make the logic clear: first identify the bottleneck, then propose a simple strategy, and finally verify it through mechanism and battery performance.

Publishing Experience
3. Why did you choose to publish with Batteries, and how was your experience?
We chose Batteries because it is a specialized journal dedicated to battery science and technology, with a clear focus on battery materials, electrochemical mechanisms, and practical applications, making it an excellent fit for our work. In addition, the journal offers a rapid publication process and open access publishing, enabling our research to reach a broader audience and be more easily accessible to researchers worldwide. Our study on electrolyte additive design for aqueous zinc-ion batteries aligns well with the journal’s scope and readership, ensuring that it reaches the appropriate scientific community. Overall, our publication experience was smooth and professional. The peer-review process provided constructive and insightful feedback that helped us present the underlying mechanisms more clearly and further strengthened the quality of the manuscript.

Research Process and Challenges
4. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was to clearly prove that sodium citrate is not just improving performance by accident. We needed to show its dual function: first, it regulates the Zn²⁺ solvation environment and helps desolvation; second, Na⁺ contributes to an electrostatic shielding effect that promotes uniform zinc deposition. To address this, we combined Raman, NMR, electrochemical measurements, SEM, XRD, and full-cell testing. By connecting all these results, we were able to build a more convincing story.

5. How did feedback during your research influence your direction?
Feedback pushed us to think more carefully about the mechanism. At the beginning, it was tempting to focus mainly on long cycling life, because the improvement was obvious. But through discussions and feedback, we realized that the key value of the work was explaining why a small amount of sodium citrate could make such a difference. That made us pay more attention to solvation chemistry, ion transport, corrosion suppression, and the concentration effect of the additive.

6. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?
For many emerging battery systems, including aqueous zinc-ion batteries, the main challenges are still stability, safety, cost, and scalability. A material may perform well in a lab cell, but it must also be low-cost, environmentally friendly, and compatible with practical manufacturing. I think these challenges can be addressed by paying more attention to interface chemistry, electrolyte design, and realistic testing conditions. We need solutions that are not only scientifically interesting, but also simple enough to be scaled up.

Teamwork and Collaboration
7. What role did you play in your research team, and how did teamwork affect the paper’s outcome?
My role was mainly to guide the research direction, help the team define the scientific question, and refine the mechanism and paper structure. This work was very much a team effort. The students carried out the experiments, analyzed the data, and prepared the manuscript, while all authors contributed to discussion and revision. The final paper benefited from different perspectives: electrochemistry, materials characterization, electrolyte chemistry, and battery testing all had to come together.

Future Insights
8. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
I think future battery technology will move toward safer, more sustainable, and more application-specific systems. Lithium-ion batteries will continue to be important, but aqueous batteries, zinc-based batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, and solid-state batteries will all play roles in different scenarios. I also believe that biomass-derived materials, natural polymers, and green electrolyte additives will become more important, because the next generation of batteries must consider not only performance, but also cost, safety, and environmental impact.