They have been friends since day one at Chalmers, now both pursuing an M.Sc. in Industrial Ecology. They considered several thesis paths but chose Rivus because they wanted to combine their shared interest in sustainability, climate, and batteries and to experience startup life up close.
William describes it like this:
• “It’s been incredibly fun and exciting to be at a startup like Rivus. It’s very different from what I imagined working life could be like. I’ve felt more included, and like a bigger part of something, than I expected.”
Samuel adds:
• “It’s been a great learning environment — we’ve been encouraged to ask a lot of questions. It’s also been fun to be part of company activities like fika and afterworks.”
In their thesis, William and Samuel are exploring the inherent hazardousness of organic battery molecules relevant to aqueous flow batteries, under the supervision of associate professor Rickard Arvidsson - division of Environmental Systems Analysis at Chalmers University of Technology. More specifically, they are assessing whether these molecules may pose hazards to humans or the environment based on their intrinsic properties.
Their work covers several key hazard categories. On the environmental side, they are studying whether the molecules may be persistent in nature, whether they have the potential to bioaccumulate in living organisms, and whether they may be toxic to aquatic life. On the human health side, they are assessing properties such as skin and eye irritation, acute toxicity, and indications of long-term effects such as carcinogenicity.
The work is based on QSAR models, which use machine learning and data from similar molecules to predict hazardous properties for new molecules. These models are widely used in early-stage chemical assessment, especially when experimental data is limited. An important part of their thesis has therefore been not only generating predictions, but also evaluating their reliability, relevance, and limitations. So far, they have studied ten molecules, including both Rivus’ and other organic flow battery electrolytes.
What has stood out to us at Rivus is how thoughtfully they have approached this complex and interdisciplinary topic. Their thesis sits at the intersection of chemistry, sustainability, toxicology, and regulatory thinking, and has required balancing a broad field of questions with the need for a focused and useful scope.
The whole Rivus team has enjoyed supporting them along the way — from intro to flow batteries, electrolyte chemistries, and the lab, to welcoming them into daily life at the company with permanent office spots, daily interaction with the team, and participation in everything from company meetings to fika and after work drinks.
We’re happy to have William and Samuel with us and grateful for the curiosity and positive energy they’ve brought to the team!