{"id":29191,"date":"2025-04-01T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-01T05:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/?p=29191"},"modified":"2025-03-31T12:23:03","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:23:03","slug":"physics-professors-start-up-is-thriving-and-could-change-the-battery-supply-chain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/physics-professors-start-up-is-thriving-and-could-change-the-battery-supply-chain\/","title":{"rendered":"Physics professors\u2019 start up is thriving, and could change the battery supply chain"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In 2016, two 51ÁÔÆæ physics professors, Carol Hirschmugl and Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovska, identified a novel material called graphene monoxide, which they discovered in their labs with other 51ÁÔÆæ colleagues, significantly improves the fast charging ability of lithium-ion batteries. Together, the professors founded a start-up called&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/uwm-battery-startup-awarded-a-second-federal-commercialization-grant\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SafeLi LLC<\/a>&nbsp;to develop their material and bring it to market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, their patented, trademarked product is known as&nbsp;eCOphite&nbsp;(TM) material. In recent developments, the eCOphite material has reduced its impact on the environment compared to the current methods used in the industry. The company is now called&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/conovateinc.com\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">COnovate<\/a>. Hirschmugl, now a professor emerita, is its CEO, and the company receives funding from the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work is more important than ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn the last couple of years, there\u2019s been a huge growth in the battery industry away from Asia,\u201d Hirschmugl said. \u201cAlong with that, we now need a local, domestic supply chain. (COnovate) meets a need that is really critical for the industry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are five things you need to know about COnovate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. The battery supply chain is a matter of national security.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lithium-ion batteries are <em>everywhere<\/em>. They power everything from our electric vehicles to cell phones and television remotes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll of those everyday lithium-ion batteries use graphite. Every single one of them,\u201d Hirschmugl said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Graphite \u2013 yes, the same material used in pencils \u2013 is used in virtually all battery anodes (albeit a much more refined version than you\u2019ll find in your pencil). An anode is the negative terminal of a battery. Graphite accounts for about 10-20% of a battery\u2019s weight and helps keep the battery stable as it charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 95% of graphite used in battery manufacturing is sourced from China, and that, said Hirschmugl, represents a security risk for the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf China were to decide that they would restrict exporting all of their graphite, or even some of their graphite, that means gigafactories around the world would close because they don\u2019t have the materials to make their batteries,\u201d she said. (An example of a gigafactory would be an electric vehicle battery manufacturing plant.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s why COnovate\u2019s product is so important. Its eCOphite material represents an alternative to using graphite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe want to be delivering materials to the battery industry that are domestically supplied and address the national security risk that\u2019s currently presented by the graphite supply chain,\u201d said Hirschmugl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a lofty goal, but it\u2019s one supported by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. COnovate has received millions of dollars in federal grants to develop eCOphite material.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That money comes from agencies like the DOE, the NSF, and the USDA. In addition, COnovate formed partnerships with places like Argonne National Laboratory, a leading expert in lithium-ion batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The company is also part of NetSuite Accelerator. Last year, COnovate advanced to the finals of the <a href=\"https:\/\/conovateinc.com\/blog\/shell-new-energy-challenge-finalist\/\">New Energy Challenge<\/a> organized in part by Shell. It has also received funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation as well as other investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"alignleft uwm-c-img--left uwm-c-img--caption-gray\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/04\/Hirschmugl-holding-silver-bag-200x300.webp\" alt=\"A white woman with shoulder-length blond hair wears a white lab coat and safety goggles. She holds a large, silver, reflective bag in front of her. In the background are racks of bins and lab equipment.\" class=\"wp-image-29389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/04\/Hirschmugl-holding-silver-bag-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/255\/2025\/04\/Hirschmugl-holding-silver-bag.webp 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><figcaption>Carol Hirschmugl holds a bag full of eCOphite material. Photo courtesy of Carol Hirschmugl.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re starting to have interactions with big players at COnovate,\u201d Hirschmugl said with a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She stressed the importance of the investment community for companies like COnovate. Historically, many startups have been sold to foreign owners instead of remaining U.S. entities because there was not enough interest from the federal, corporate and venture communities to domestically foster their growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s really important to small companies like COnovate, who have interesting, innovative technology that\u2019s been patented, is that there needs to be a pipeline to getting this to commercialization,\u201d Hirschmugl said. \u201cWe need to invest more to keep (innovations) here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said COnovate was announced for a DOE critical materials accelerator; however, federal funding for the update was recently paused. The accelerator will help Hirschmugl and COnovate scale up their production of eCOphite materials, which is important for attracting interest from potential clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. It\u2019s all a matter of scale.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Hirschmugl and Gajdardziska-Josifovska were developing graphene monoxide, they were working with samples on a nanoscale. Nearly ten years later, COnovate has scaled up production by twelve orders of magnitude. That means the company produces 10,000 billion times the initial amount of eCOphite material. Even that\u2019s not enough to be able to deliver the quantities of material that manufacturers need to produce their batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe (government) funding allows us to work with what we call contract manufacturing organizations who will make the material at a larger scale,\u201d Hirschmugl said. \u201cThe people we\u2019re working with have the capacity to go to as big as ten kilotons per year production. That\u2019s a lot of material, but that\u2019s the beginning size of a graphite company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With a 10 kiloton per year plant, COnovate could supply one gigafactory with the material it needs. There are currently 34 gigafactories either planned, under construction, or operating in the U.S., according to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/06\/tracking-the-ev-battery-factory-construction-boom-across-north-america\/\">Tech Crunch<\/a>. The majority of gigafactories in the world are in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>4. COnovate\u2019s product is effective and better for the environment.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s no denying that graphite is a valuable natural resource, but obtaining it and preparing it for manufacturing is a dirty process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGraphite is mined and treated with harsh chemicals,\u201d Hirschmugl explained. \u201cYou\u2019ve got mining dust creation and the chemicals for treating that material. Other materials are made from petroleum byproducts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Compare that with eCOphite materials, which are derived from sustainable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/eere\/bioenergy\/feedstock-technologies\">bio feedstocks<\/a>. COnovate\u2019s technology has a much lower environmental impact. Plus, eCOphite materials in batteries have proven to reduce charging time and increase battery capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hirschmugl thinks that these advantages will make COnovate\u2019s products an attractive option for battery manufacturers, but there\u2019s still work to do before her company can shake up the market. Luckily, she\u2019s got help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>5.&nbsp;51ÁÔÆæ creates a pipeline of talent for COnovate, and COnovate provides industry training for 51ÁÔÆæ students.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI have been fortunate to have somewhere between five and ten students from 51ÁÔÆæ who have spent time with COnovate. Everyone has gone on to do really great things working with us, learning and being on the journey with us, and then going on to their own passion,\u201d said Hirschmugl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She\u2019s worked with graduate students but has also established a relationship with 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s Undergraduate Research Program to introduce younger students to the energy industry. They\u2019re not all physics students, either. COnovate has drawn interns from economics, public health, engineering, and finance, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That talent pool has been invaluable to COnovate. Of course, Hirschmugl is familiar with the caliber of students at 51ÁÔÆæ and knows she\u2019s hiring quality workers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said, \u201cThey\u2019re learning how to work in a team. I think that provides an experience that\u2019s quite different (from academic learning). They\u2019re learning what it is to be a business: You have to identify what the customer wants and meet what the customer wants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are still challenges to face, but COnovate is on its way to becoming a driver of change in the energy industry. One day soon, the battery in your car, phone, or television remote could be made with technology developed right here at 51ÁÔÆæ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters &amp; Science<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2016, two 51ÁÔÆæ physics professors, Carol Hirschmugl and Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovska, identified a novel material called graphene monoxide, which they discovered in their labs with other 51ÁÔÆæ colleagues, significantly improves the fast charging ability of lithium-ion batteries. Together, the professors &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":785,"featured_media":29388,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[1648,1956,1846],"tags":[1854],"class_list":["post-29191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-focus","category-in-focus-2025","category-research-news","tag-april"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Letters &amp; Science<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/letters-science\/in-focus-2025\/physics-professors-start-up-is-thriving-and-could-change-the-battery-supply-chain\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Physics professors\u2019 start up is thriving, and could change the battery supply chain\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In 2016, two 51ÁÔÆæ physics professors, Carol Hirschmugl and Marija Gajdardziska-Josifovska, identified a novel material called graphene monoxide, which they discovered in their labs with other 51ÁÔÆæ colleagues, significantly improves the fast charging ability of lithium-ion batteries. 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