Iker Varona

Iker Varona earned his BSc in Chemistry from the University of the Basque Country (EHU) in July 2023. During his BSc thesis he worked under the supervision of Dr. Agustín Etxeberria and Dr. Elena Gabirondo in the synthesis and characterization of biodegradable polymers as an alternative to polyethylene for packaging applications. He then completed a Master's degree in Chemistry and Polymers at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) obtaining the specialization in polymers in 2024. His master's thesis was focused on the improvement of the barrier properties of biodegradable polymeric membranes based on DES under the supervision of Dr. Agustín Etxeberria and Dr. Elena Gabirondo. Iker is currently a PhD student under the supervision of Dr. Irune Villaluenga, Dr. Nora Aramburu and Dr. Mercedes Fernández. In his research a novel rheology-guided extrusion approach is proposed for the fabrication of high performance inorganic-polymer hybrid electrolytes for solid-state batteries based on Li3InCl6 due to its high ionic conductivity, electrochemical and chemical stability, and non-polar polymers such as LDPE and PIB, which have high stability to halides and excellent processability. The influence of extrusion temperature on viscosity, morphology and ionic conductivity is investigated in order to optimize processing conditions and electrolyte performance.