GDE Symposium 2025: Insights into Gas Diffusion Electrodes - From Fundamentals to Industrial Applications

The 3^rd Symposium on “Insights into Gas Diffusion Electrodes: From Fundamentals to Industrial Applications & Beyond the OER” is a joint initiative of the Research Units FOR 2397 “Multiscale Analysis of Complex Three-Phase Systems – Oxygen and CO₂ Reduction” and FOR 2982 “Unusual Anode Reactions in Electrochemical Energy conversion: Value Creation rather than Oxygen Evolution in Hydrogen Production”, both funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Porous gas-diffusion electrodes (GDE) play a key role in both projects.

GDEs have broad applications in different electrochemical devices such as (bio)-fuel cells, (bio)-electrolyzers, and batteries for energy conversion as well as inorganic and organic synthesis applications. Although very different chemistries and materials are involved, all of these examples share similarities related to so-called “three phase boundaries” as well as pronounced mass transfer challenges related to slow diffusivity and low solubility of gases.

In this topical meeting, we would like to address these challenges explicitly with respect to:

• Advanced methods for GDE preparation (devoted to control of local arrangement of GDE materials and porosity) and simulation driven methods for GDE structure optimization.
• Study of reaction kinetics and reaction mechanisms involving gaseous products or reactants.
• Advanced characterization methods for GDEs (dynamic, in-situ, and operando studies).
• Multiscale modelling of GDE operation including reaction and transport resistances.
• Alternative anode reactions to replace the complex oxygen evolution reaction such as alcohol oxidation, lignin oxidation, ammonia oxidation, nitrogen oxidation.

Plenary speakers:

Deepak Pant, VITO, Belgium

Ferdi Schüth, Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, Germany

Magda Titirici, Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Keynote speakers:

Csaba Janáky, University of Szeged, Hungary

Dulce Morales, University of Groningen, The Netherlands

Christina Roth, University of Bayreuth, Germany

Invited Speakers:

Mariana Monteiro, Fritz-Haber-Institute,Germany

Simon Thiele, Helmholtz-Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Roswitha Zeis, Freidrich-Alexander-Universität, Germany

Important Dates (Deadlines)

• Abstract submission opening: December 1st, 2024
• Abstract submission deadline: April 4th, 2025
• Notifcation of acceptance for oral and poster contributions: May 15th, 2025
• Early bird registration: June 15th, 2025
• Registration deadline for oral presentations: July 15th, 2025