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Electrochemical test setup at HIPOLE Jena for membrane, fuel cell, and energy conversion research
Exterior view of the HIPOLE Jena research building with reflective glass façade and modern architectural design

HIPOLE Jena

We research highly efficient, scalable, cost-effective, and sustainably produced technologies for energy storage and energy conversion.

Close-up of a flexible electronic or energy-storage component being handled in a laboratory setting

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Congratulations to Our Founding Director!

Congratulations to Our Founding Director!

| 1 min read

Today, October 1, 2026, Prof. Dr. Ulrich S. Schubert, Founding Director of HIPOLE Jena and Chair of Organic and Macromolecular Chemistry at Friedrich Schiller University Jena, begins another term as…

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Photopolymerization-Based 3D Printing for Organic Batteries – ESPS 2026

Photopolymerization-Based 3D Printing for Organic Batteries – ESPS 2026

| 1 min read

Our scientist Dr. Sergey Nechausov represented our team at the 9th European Symposium of Photopolymer Science (ESPS 2026), held in Vienna from September 7 to 11, 2026. He presented his…

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HIPOLE Jena at AUC 2026 in Uppsala, Sweden

HIPOLE Jena at AUC 2026 in Uppsala, Sweden

| 1 min read

The 28th International Conference on Analytical Ultracentrifugation (AUC 2026) Workshop and Symposium was held at Uppsala University in Sweden from August 24 to 28, 2026. Uppsala University is the oldest…

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The central strategic goal of HIPOLE Jena is the accelerated, knowledge-based development of sustainable polymer materials for scalable energy technologies.

HIPOLE Jena is based on three research pillars:

  • Material design & synthesis
  • Scalability, prototypes, and transfer
  • Characterization, theory & modeling and data science

This triad forms the basis for 5 areas of the HIPOLE Jena research mission:

Polymer redox-flow batteries

Redox-flow batteries (RFB) are a special battery technology. In contrast to many other battery systems, with RFB the performance and capacity can be scaled independently of each other. RFBs are particularly interesting for stationary energy storage. As part of HIPOLE Jena, organic, polymer-based electrolytes are being investigated, which makes the use of critical metals/metal ions in the electrolytes obsolete.

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Polymer-based thin-film batteries

The large area of organic electronics opens up many new application possibilities, such as in the area of smart textiles or the “Internet of Things”. In this context, polymer-based active materials and electrolytes allow the printing production of flexible, tailor-made batteries. In HIPOLE Jena, the next generation of these materials is being investigated, which should, for example, enable a longer lifespan.

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Photovoltaics

Commercial photovoltaic technologies have reached the terawatt (TW) range in terms of installed capacity worldwide. There will continue to be a very high demand for photovoltaic systems in the next few years, requiring scalable technologies to meet the ever-growing demand. HIPOLE Jena is dedicated to perovskite solar cells. The use of polymers is intended to improve stability, for example.

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Functional self-healing materials

Functional self-healing materials represent a special field of research. These can restore their original properties after damage. For example, in battery electrodes, the conductivity should be restored after damage to the electrode. Comparable approaches should also be used for solar cells.

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Sustainable chemistry

In the plastic age, which is also strongly associated with the negative environmental impacts of plastics (e.g. microplastics), sustainability plays an important role. Therefore, the polymers for the various applications should be created based on sustainable resources and their recycling should be possible. For example, the use of CO2 as a building block for polymers plays an important role.

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