In this internship, you will synthesize hard carbon and evaluate its electrochemical performance in Na-ion battery cells. You will relate the electrochemical properties of the material to the synthesis protocol, materials properties, and electrode preparation methods. As for the experimental part, you will first develop a synthesis method for hard carbon materials. Afterwards, you will prepare the full electrodes and test the battery performance in coin cells under industrially relevant conditions. Under guidance of TNO, you will propose solutions to optimize the electrodes and their production process. You will learn characterization and analytical techniques such as Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-Ray diffraction analysis (XRD), as well as electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and battery testing.