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On July 17, 2026, we opened the lab doors for the full-day pupil workshop “Power in Your Pocket: The Chemistry of Batteries” as part of the TAO workshop. The workshop was designed for pupils from grades 5 through 8. During the workshop, the pupils were able to get hands-on experience through various interactive activities.

At the start of the workshop, Prof. Dr. Thomas Lunkenbein and Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini gave a brief introduction to the topics of energy and energy storage, as well as a presentation on our Bavarian Center for Battery Technology and the participating chairs.

Using the Voltaic pile, the pupils learned about the history and operating principles of batteries and rechargeable batteries. Before the hands-on portion, there was, of course, a brief safety briefing and instructions on how to behave and work properly in the lab. Afterward, the children had the opportunity to put their skills to the test by building lemon batteries using various electrodes and making LEDs light up. They also constructed a Cu/Zn cell using citric acid and a MnO₂ battery in aluminum crucibles with an ammonium chloride electrolyte.

In the afternoon, they focused on lithium batteries. The introduction to the topic covered lithium, the importance of lithium batteries, and the proper handling of lithium in the laboratory. This began with a demonstration of the reactivity of lithium and sodium with water. Finally, the insertion of lithium into graphite was investigated in situ under a light microscope.

We would like to thank everyone involved for organizing and conducting the TAO workshop. The workshop was held in collaboration between the participating departments and the ‘TAO Schülerforschungszentrum‘of the ‘Technologie Allianz Oberfranken’.