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Karin Kleiner

Looking for students or interns

Areas of expertise

Application and recycling of materials and devices for energy storage and conversion , Applied electrochemistry , Condensed matter and solid state physics , Development , Powder diffraction , Testing , X-ray spectroscopy

  • Professor

Phone
819 376-2008

E-mail
karin.kleiner@inrs.ca

Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications Research Centre

INRS-UQTR Joint Research Unit in Materials and Technologies for Energy Transition

See the research centre

Research interests

Professor Karin Kleiner develops materials and electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. To elucidate aging mechanisms, she uses a wide range of ex situ and in situ/operando diagnostics such as powder diffraction and spectroscopy.

  • Synthesis and characterization of high-energy Co-free, Fe-based cathode materials for Li ion batteries
  • Direct and hydrometallurgical recycling of cathode materials towards a circular economy with a low carbon footprint
  • Operando, in situ, and ex situ soft electrochemical X-ray absorption spectroscopy, diffraction and mass spectrometry
  • Electrochemical and analytical characterization of perovskite-based OER catalysts

Training and research

  • Battery material synthesis, electrode preparation, and electrochemical characterization
  • Electrochemical cells for operando powder diffraction and spectroscopy
  • Electrochemical mass spectrometry
  • Access to a electrochemical soft x-ray absorption chamber at the WERA beamline KARA in Germany

Training openings for students or interns

Doctorate

PhD

Postdoctorate

Synthesis and characterization of Li-rich, Fe-based layered oxides as cathode materials in Li-ion batteries
  • Since 2025, Associate Professor for New Energy Materials at the INRS-UQTR joint research unit in Trois-Rivières, Quebec (Canada).
  • From 2019 to 2024, Head of a young investigator group developing new metrology and materials for Li-ion batteries at Meet, University of Muenster (Germany).
  • From 2015-2019, Postdoc at Diamond Light Source (DLS, UK), Technical University of Munich (TUM, Germany), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, Germany)
  • 2011-2014, employer of BMW, PhD from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, Germany)
  • Conference organizer: EMRS fall meeting 2025, Electrochemistry Undercover – GdCH 2022
  • CEO AGEF eV (Association of Electrochemical Institutions, Germany)
Development of an NAPXAS chamber at the WERA Beamline, Karlsruhe (Germany): More information

Publications

a. Published refereed contributions (since 2017)

I. Journal articles

1. Ying, B.*, Teng, Z., Senyshyn, A., Avdeev, M., Jonas, A., Peng, J., Simonsen, S. B., Indris, S., Dolotko, O., Schmuch, R., Yan, P., Merz, M., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Ehrenberg, H., Winter, M., Kleiner K.*, Insights into Homogeneous Bulk Boron Doping at the Tetrahedral Site of NCM811 Cathode Materials: Structure Stabilization by Inductive Effect on TM-O-B Bonds, Small 2025, 21, 9, 2409743. doi.org/10.1002/smll.202409743

2. Liu, H., Hua, W., Kunz, S., Bianchini, M., Li, H., Peng, J., Lin, J., Dolotko, O., Bergfeldt, T., Wang, K., Kübel, C., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Merz, M., Ying, B., Kleiner, K., Mangold, S., Wong, D., Baran, V., Knapp, M., Ehrenberg, H., Indris, S.*, Tailoring superstructure units for improved oxygen redox activity in Li-rich layered oxide battery’s positive electrodes, Nature Communications 2024, 15, 9981, 1-14. doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54312-z

3. Gnutzmann, M. M., Makvandi, A., Ying, B., Buchmann, J., Lüther, M. J., Helm, B., Nagel, P., Peterlechner, M., Wilde, G., Gomez‐Martin, A., Kleiner, K., Winter, M., Kasnatscheew, J.*, Direct Recycling at the Material Level: Unravelling Challenges and Opportunities through a Case Study on Spent Ni‐Rich Layered Oxide‐Based Cathodes, Advanced Energy Materials 2024, doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202400840

4. Arifiadi, A., Brake, T., Demelash, F., Ying, B., Kleiner, K., Hur, H., Wiemers-Meyer, S., Winter, M., Kasnatscheew, J.*, Towards High Specific Energy and Long Cycle Life of Li/Mn-Rich Layered Oxide || Graphite Lithium Ion Batteries via Optimization of Voltage Window, Adv. Energy Sustainability Res. 2024, 5, 8. doi.org/10.1002/aesr.202400129

5. Peng, J., Sarapulova, A., Fu, Q., Li, H., Liu, H., Dolotko, O., Bergfeldt, T., Kleiner, K., Ying, B., Wu, Y., Baran, V., Welter, E., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Merz, M., Knapp, M., Ehrenberg, H., Indris, S., Understanding the Electrochemical Reaction Mechanism of the Co/Ni Free Layered Cathode Material P2-Na2/3Mn7/12Fe1/3Ti1/12O2 for Sodium-Ion Batteries, Chem. Mater. 2024, 36, 9, 4107-4120. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c01552

6. Hausen, F., Scheer, N., Ying, B., Kleiner, K.*, Correlation of the Electronic Structure and Li-ion mobility with Modulus and Hardness in NCM622 Cathodes by Combined NEXAFS, AFM and Nanoindentation, Electrochem. Sci. Adv. 2023;1–10. doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202300017

7. Ying, B., Fitzpatrick, J. R., Teng, Z., Chen, T., Lo, B., Siozios, V., Murray, C. A., Brand, H. E. A., Day, S. J., Tang, C. C., Weatherup, R. S., Merz, M., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Winter, M., Kleiner, K.*, Monitoring the Formation of Nickel-Poor and Nickel-Rich Oxide Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries with Synchrotron Radiation. Chem. Mater. 2023, 35, 4, 1514–1526. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.2c02639

8. Jetybayeva, A., Schön, N., Oh, J., Kim, J., Kim, H., Park, G., Lee, Y.-G., Eichel, R.-A., Kleiner, K.*, Hausen, F.*, Hong, S.*, Unravelling the State of Charge-Dependent Electronic and Ionic Structure–Property Relationships in NCM622 Cells by Multiscale Characterization. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 2022, 5, 1731-1742. doi/10.1021/acsaem.1c03173

9. Leach, A. S., Llewellyn, A. V., Xu, C., Tan, C., Heenan, T. M. M., Dimitrijevic, A., Kleiner, K., Grey, C. P., Brett, D. J. L., Tang, C. C., Shearing, P., Jervis, R.*, Spatially resolved operando synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction measurements of Ni-rich cathodes for Li-ion batteries. Front. Chem. Eng., Fron. Electrochem. Eng. 2022, 3, Article 79194, 1-9. doi.org/10.3389/fceng.2021.794194

10. Merz, M., Ying, B., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Kleiner, K.*, Reversible and Irreversible Redox Processes in Li-Rich Layered Oxides. Chem. Mater. 2021, 33, 24, 9534-9545. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.1c02573

11. Kleiner, K.*, Murray, C. A., Grosu, C., Ying, B., Winter, M., Nagel, P., Schuppler, S., Merz, M., On the Origin of Reversible and Irreversible Reactions in LiNixCo(1−x)/2Mn(1−x)/2O2. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2021, 168, 12, 120533. doi.org/10.1149/1945-7111/ac3c21

12. Sigel, F.*, Schwarz, B., Kleiner, K., Dräger, C., Esmezjan, L., Yavuz, M., Indris, S., Ehrenberg, H., Thermally Induced Structural Reordering in Li- And Mn-Rich Layered Oxide Li Ion Cathode Materials. Chem. Mater. 2020, 32, 3, 1210–1223. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.9b04355

13. Rasche, B.*, Yang, M., Nikonow, L., Cooper, J.F.K., Murray, C.A., Day, S.J., Kleiner, K., Clarke, S.J.*, Compton, R.G.*, In‐situ Electrochemical X‐ray Diffraction: A Rigorous Method to Navigate within Phase Diagrams Reveals β‐Fe1+ xSe as Superconductor for All x. Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 2019, 58, 15401–15406. doi.org/10.1002/anie.201907426

14. Rasche, B.*, Yang, M., Nikonow, L., Cooper, J.F.K., Murray, C.A., Day, S.J., Kleiner, K., Clarke, S.J.*, Compton, R.G.*, Elektrochemische In‐situ‐Röntgenbeugung: Eine präzise Methode zur Navigation in Phasendiagrammen enthüllt β‐Fe1+ xSe als Supraleiter für alle x. Angew. Chemie Int. Ed. 2019, 131, 43, 15547-15552. doi.org/10.1002/ange.201907426

15. Friedrich, F.*, Strehle, B., Freiberg, A.T.S., Kleiner, K., Day, S.J., Erk, C., Piana, M., Gasteiger, H.A., Editors’ Choice—Capacity Fading Mechanisms of NCM-811 Cathodes in Lithium-Ion Batteries Studied by X-ray Diffraction and Other Diagnostics. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2019, 166, 15, A3760–A3774. doi.org/10.1149/2.0821915jes

16. Kleiner, K.*, Strehle, B., Baker, A.R., Day, S.J., Tang, C.C., Buchberger, I., Chesneau, F.-F., Gasteiger, H.A., Piana, M., Origin of High Capacity and Poor Cycling Stability of Li-Rich Layered Oxides: A Long-Duration in Situ Synchrotron Powder Diffraction Study. Chem. Mater. 2018, 30, 11, 3656–3667. doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemmater.8b00163

16. Strehle, B., Kleiner, K., Jung, R., Chesneau, F., Mendez, M., Gasteiger, H. A., Piana, M., The Role of Oxygen Release from Li- and Mn-Rich Layered Oxides during the First Cycles Investigated by On-Line Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry. J. Electrochem. Soc. 2017, 164, 2, A400-A406. doi.org/10.1149/2.1001702jes

II. Book chapters

1. Kleiner, K.*, Ehrenberg, H., in “Next Generation Battery Concepts, Electrochemical Energy Storage” / Chapter 5: Challenges Considering the Degradation of Cell Components in Commercial Lithium-Ion Cells: A Review and Evaluation of Present Systems. Springer 2019, page 169-213. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26130-6_5

b. Other refereed contributions

I. Patents

1. Kleiner, K.*, Ying, B., Sutar, P., Synthesis of phase pure LiNixFe1-xO2 (R-3m structure). Patent 2024, Application No. 10 2023 104 776