Giorgia Nicosia, a PhD student on the STEN (Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology) programme at the MRT Fuel Cell and Battery Laboratory of the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano, received one of the prestigious Poster Prizes awarded by Chemistry Europe at the Battery 2030+ Annual Conference 2025, held in Münster (Germany) on 6 and 7 May 2025.

The award-winning contribution, entitled “Characterisation of LFP Batteries Ageing from Automotive Applications via Single Cell Testing, Physical Modelling and Ex-Situ Analyses”, was developed as part of the European AutoMat (Retrieve. Recycle. Recharge.) project and involved the advanced analysis of the ageing mechanisms of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from automotive applications.

The study proposes an integrated diagnostic approach that combines electrochemical techniques (such as quasi-OCP discharges, differential voltage analysis – DVA and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy – EIS) with modelling and ex-situ analyses (in particular scanning electron microscopy – SEM and X-ray diffraction – XRD). This methodology has made it possible to identify the main degradation phenomena, such as loss of cyclable lithium (LLI) and loss of active material in the negative electrode (LAMn), which have also been confirmed by post-mortem analysis.

The work, carried out in collaboration with the University of Pavia, has provided a deeper understanding of the ageing mechanisms of exhausted LFP batteries, paving the way for potential second-life applications and supporting the development of sustainable energy storage solutions.

The award given to Giorgia Nicosia by Chemistry Europe – an association that brings together 16 chemical societies from 15 European countries – recognises the excellent contributions of young researchers in the field of chemistry and energy and highlights the importance of the research conducted by the Department of Energy in the field of advanced batteries and energy storage.