University of Groningen Researcher Moniek Tromp Innovates with Tabletop Spectroscope to Advance Sustainable Battery Research

University of Groningen Researcher Moniek Tromp Innovates with Tabletop Spectroscope to Advance Sustainable Battery Research

(IN BRIEF) Moniek Tromp, a researcher at the University of Groningen, has developed a portable, tabletop spectroscope to accelerate her research on sustainable battery technology. This innovation allows her to conduct vital measurements on batteries in her own lab, bypassing the need to travel to distant synchrotron facilities. Tromp’s work focuses on creating batteries that can better store renewable energy from sources like wind and solar. The new device, located in the Feringa Building, has streamlined her research and provided unexpected benefits during the COVID-19 lockdown, enabling her to continue her work uninterrupted. This invention is part of the UG Makers initiative, highlighting researchers’ practical contributions to global challenges.

(PRESS RELEASE) GRONINGEN, 3-Mar-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Moniek Tromp has overcome a significant challenge in her research by creating a compact, tabletop version of a complex international facility used to study battery technology. With this invention, Tromp can now conduct critical measurements on new batteries in her own lab, streamlining her work on the next generation of energy storage solutions.

Tromp’s research focuses on designing batteries that can store renewable energy from sources like wind and solar power—key components for a sustainable future. However, she notes a crucial issue with current battery technology: limited longevity, primarily due to atomic-level processes happening within the electrodes.

To better understand the internal mechanisms of batteries during charging and discharging cycles, Tromp employs spectroscopy, a technique that uses light to interact with atoms in a sample, producing a distinct fingerprint. This allows her to identify atoms and analyze their surrounding environment. Unlike conventional spectroscopy, Tromp uses X-rays, which provide deeper insights into battery materials. The highest quality measurements are often taken in specialized facilities known as synchrotrons, located in cities like Grenoble, Hamburg, and various U.S. locations.

These synchrotrons produce high-resolution images, capturing changes in battery structures and the movement of atoms and molecules during charging cycles. However, the logistics of working at such distant facilities are cumbersome. To address this, Tromp designed her own compact spectroscope, which, while not as precise as those at synchrotrons, provides sufficient data for most of her research.

The new device, a square box about 1.5 meters in diameter, now occupies the ground floor of the Feringa Building. With this portable spectroscope located close to her lab, Tromp can now perform rapid experiments, adjusting variables and instantly verifying the results. Another unexpected benefit of this invention emerged during the COVID-19 lockdowns: the tabletop spectroscope allowed Tromp to continue her research uninterrupted, despite restrictions.

This innovation is part of the University of Groningen’s ongoing effort to highlight the practical contributions of its researchers. Every two weeks, the UG Makers initiative showcases individuals like Tromp who develop tangible solutions to global scientific and societal challenges.

Text: FSE Science Newsroom | René Fransen
Photos: Reyer Boxem

For decades, the University of Groningen has been at the forefront of engineering education and research, with an increasingly strong collaboration with the country’s technical universities.

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SOURCE: University of Groningen