Max Schulze is a researcher at NLR. For electrochemical energy storage technologies to be effective in addressing global energy challenges, he believes the materials need to be designed with holistic considerations that optimize the interplay between energy density, power density, lifetime, safety, recyclability, cost, and minimization of critical resource use. Combining this holistic vision with his varied background in materials synthesis allows him to bring creative, dynamic, and commercially relevant ideas to his research, rather than resorting to incremental or one-dimensional adaptions of materials designed for today’s lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, he believes the critical types of materials to develop are interfacial coatings, electrolyte additives, novel electrolytes, and/or solid electrolytes that address the poor mechanochemical stability of solid-electrolyte-interfaces of many next-generation electrodes. 

Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries (Silicon Anode Consortium)

Interfacial coatings for battery electrodes

Development of accelerated battery testing protocols

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University (2015–2019)

Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2014–2015)

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (2011–2014)

Undergraduate Summer Student, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2010–2014)