Lena Ehlers, a doctoral researcher in Research Area 1 “Sourcing” of the Cluster of Excellence “The Martian Mindset,” recently completed a research stay at Politecnico di Milano. During her visit, she investigated how different electrochemical cell designs influence the processes involved in producing iron.
Research Area 1 “Sourcing” focuses on methods for obtaining raw materials from resources that are available locally. For future missions to Mars, this could mean developing technologies that allow useful materials to be extracted from Martian soil or other locally available resources rather than transporting them from Earth. Within this research area, Ehlers works with Jorg Thöming, who leads the cluster project “Metal Electrowinning.”
A central topic of Ehlers’ research is iron electrodeposition. This is an electrochemical process in which iron is deposited onto an electrode from a liquid solution by applying an electrical current. Understanding how the process works is important for developing efficient methods of producing metals from available resources.
During her research stay, Ehlers investigated how different designs of electrochemical cells affect the products formed during iron electrodeposition and the mechanisms involved in the reaction. The experimental facilities at Politecnico di Milano provided access to techniques that allowed the processes to be observed in greater detail.
One of these methods was in-situ Raman spectroscopy. This non-invasive analytical technique uses laser light to identify chemical substances and changes in their molecular structure while an experiment is taking place. In addition, the researchers used real-time microscopy to observe changes on the surface of the electrode during the electrochemical measurements.
Combining these methods allows the researchers to investigate not only the final products of the reaction but also the processes occurring while iron is being deposited. The data collected during the research stay will be analysed to improve the understanding of the reduction mechanisms and possible intermediate substances formed during the reaction.
The research contributes to the work of the Cluster of Excellence “The Martian Mindset” by investigating fundamental processes that could support the future production of raw materials under resource-limited conditions. The research stay also strengthened scientific exchange between the University of Bremen and Politecnico di Milano.
