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Dr. Jiří Orava is an Associate Professor in the Physics of Condensed Matter and the Head of the Department of Environmental Chemistry and Technology at the Faculty of Environment, Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem (UJEP). He holds a Ph.D. in Materials Science, Chemistry and Technology of Materials from the University of Pardubice, where his research focused on chalcogenides for micro- and nano-optic devices. After finishing his PhD, Orava worked at the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge (UK), Advanced Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University (Japan), and Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden (Germany) between 2009-2021. Dr. Orava’s expertise lies in developing and characterising materials for environmental, sensing, and energy applications. He leads the Advanced Functional Materials Group at UJEP. He is also the author and guarantor of an interdisciplinary doctoral study program “Environmental and Biomaterial Sciences” and a member of the INERRANT Horizon Europe project, where UJEP is leading two main activities, i.e., the development of multifunctional separators based on electro-and hybrid-spinning technology for safer LIBs and the recovery of critical raw materials from LIBs. His work has been widely published, with significant contributions in fast scanning calorimetry, semiconducting glasses design, metallic glasses, and recently in electrospinning of energy materials.

Q1: Your research focuses on advanced functional materials and environmental chemistry. How do you see your expertise in these areas contributing to the objectives of the SOLMATE project, particularly in the context of sustainable management, recycling of LIBs but also valorisation of glass from EoL PV panels?

R: Generally, recycling WEEE (not limited to EoL PV panels and LIB) is becoming an important necessity to recover critical raw materials that the EU generally lacks. Therefore, I am very proud to be part of SOLMATE, which addresses sustainable management and recycling. My studies on solid-state reactions, phase evolution during thermal and chemical treatments, and the structural reactivity of complex systems are directly relevant to designing and upcycling EoL materials, for example, through vitrification, doping, or conversion. In LIBs, I am particularly interested in developing new materials for separators using electrospinning technology to improve LIB safety. As a member of the Advisory Board, I aim to help and advise on materials chemistry and support innovative yet practical solutions for sustainable resource recovery.

Q2: Given your involvement in projects such as INERRANT, focused on circular economy and sustainable technologies, what are the most significant challenges and opportunities you foresee in transitioning to a circular economic model for LIBs and how can the SOLMATE project address these?

R: Especially for LIBs recycling, I believe a versatile recycling technology should be developed to handle even new generations of LIBs currently in development. The technology should be capable of recycling a wide range of chemistries. Even with the current GEN3 LIBs, the composition, especially of cathodes, varies significantly—most commonly being NMC-based and LFP. Additionally, as safer GEN 3 batteries are developed, the composition of all elements (cathode, anode, electrolyte, separators) is becoming more chemically complex, which presents a clear challenge for recycling technologies, especially since some functional additives may never be recovered economically. This also raises questions, such as whether economical recovery of ppm CRMs via electrochemical methods could be achieved from waste waters after LIB recycling. For such a versatile technology to exist, AI and robotisation will play a critical role. This is where I see a strong SOLMATE contribution.

Q3: Finally, what inspired you to join the SOLMATE External Advisory Board and what unique perspectives do you hope to bring to the project based on your extensive experience in advanced materials and environmental research?

R: Answering the first part of the question is relatively straightforward. I am very interested in the challenging and complex issues SOLMATE addresses and aims to solve. Since these align with my recent scientific interests, I find it a natural fit to be involved with SOLMATE and am truly honored to be accepted onto the Advisory Board. I hope that my interdisciplinary knowledge and expertise in materials sciences, along with the collaborative work I do with relevant industrial partners, will help SOLMATE to successfully progress and achieve its goals.