On the occasion of the recent PHOENIX General Assembly in Rome, we hosted a strategic meeting with one of our sister projects, SALAMANDER. This peer-to-peer exchange allowed both projects to align their technological roadmaps, share challenges in material science, and define joint actions toward the industrialisation of self-healing battery technologies.

Two approaches, one vision: longevity and safety

The meeting opened with a deep dive into the innovations being developed by both projects, highlighting how synergy is the real driver for European battery innovation.

The SALAMANDER team, represented by experts from the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) and PolyKey, presented their results on Covalent Adaptive Networks (CANs). These polymer systems utilise labile hindered urea bonds that, through temperature control (around 60°C), can “heal” micro-cracks in electrodes within minutes. A major highlight was the development of Silo-PEO-CAN, a bio-based polymer designed to better bond with silicon nanoparticles, significantly improving the mechanical stability of the anode.

On the optical fiber sensing side, the PHOENIX project demonstrated real‑time battery health monitoring by employing Rayleigh‑based Optical Frequency‑Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) sensing system. The consortium successfully mapped the internal temperature distribution of pouch cells with centimetre‑scale spatial resolution. This system acts like a nervous system, detecting thermal anomalies early and triggering self-healing processes the moment the battery “feels pain” (i.e., an abnormal temperature spike).

Common challenges: bridging the gap from lab to cell

A key part of the discussion focused on the “scaling gap” encountered when moving from pure polymer films to high-density electrodes:

• Kinetics vs. performance: SALAMANDER noted that high polymer content can sometimes interfere with electrochemical performance. There is a clear development gap between the healing efficiency observed in thin films versus complex, real-world battery microstructures.

• Integration and testing: Both projects discussed the urgent need for standardised testing protocols to quantify capacity recovery and long-term durability accurately.

Looking ahead: scientific cooperation and training

The meeting concluded with a roadmap for future collaboration:

1. FME Battery Academy (May 2026): PHOENIX has been officially invited to the Summer School organised by IFE and SALAMANDER. This will be a prime opportunity for guest lectures and interactive workshops on self-healing parameters.

2. Joint technical webinar: Organise a collaborative webinar with sister projects (including HEALING BAT) to present technical updates and research outcomes to a specialised stakeholder audience.