The ALISA project focused on producing and optimizing porous carbon materials for lithium‑sulfur (Li‑S) battery cathodes. Four new Porocarb samples were characterized by BET surface area and particle size distribution. The BET values ranged from 549 to 606 m² g⁻¹, while the D10, D50, and D90 values varied between 0.3 µm and 9.8 µm, indicating a monomodal distribution. Group 1 samples exhibited smaller pores (e.g., D50 = 0.7 µm for sample 569), whereas Group 2 samples displayed a pronounced pore structure confirmed by CO₂ adsorption, N₂ physisorption, and Hg porosimetry. The Group 2 material had a slightly higher total pore volume and a greater share of macropores, meeting the battery‑application criteria and marking the successful completion of task T2.2.

To enhance energy‑storage capacity, a CO₂‑activation route was developed. In a feasibility study at the INM’s 450 mL rotary furnace, porous carbon was exposed to a CO₂/N₂ gas mixture, resulting in enlarged micro‑ and mesopores. The pilot plant at HBT scaled this process to produce over 250 g per batch, with further optimization at the kilogram scale. Key parameters were the CO₂ fraction (25 % of the gas stream), flow rate, temperature, and residence time. Increasing residence time from one to three hours raised the average pore diameter by 17 % and 22 %, respectively. Cumulative pore‑volume analysis showed that pores below 0.5 nm largely disappeared, while the 1–2 nm range increased by roughly 190 % and the 2–24 nm range by 20 %. Macro‑pore volume remained unchanged, confirming that the activation selectively modified micro‑ and mesopores. These results fulfilled task T2.3, demonstrating that the CO₂‑activated Porocarb possesses the desired pore architecture for efficient sulfur uptake and conversion in Li‑S cells.

The project’s collaboration structure was tightly integrated across several institutions. HBT (Heraeus) led the synthesis and initial characterization of the carbon materials (WP 2), producing the Porocarb variants and coordinating with the INM for surface‑functionalization studies. The INM further refined the graphitization degree and surface chemistry, while the pilot plant at HBT enabled scale‑up to kilogram quantities. Integration of the optimized carbons into cathodes was handled by WP 3, with ETH Zürich contributing advanced in‑situ characterization of sulfur conversion and solid‑electrolyte interphase formation (WP 4). WP 5 managed dissemination, publication, and business planning. The overall project was coordinated by NIC (Slovenia), which organized exchange meetings, sample transfers, and milestone planning. Funding was provided through the ALISA consortium, and although Heraeus withdrew early, the knowledge and technologies developed remain available for future Li‑S and other electrochemical applications. The collaboration achieved a Technology Readiness Level increase from 3 to 4, positioning the developed materials for further industrial validation.