Design and high throughput microwave synthesis of Li-ion battery materials

Declining fossil fuel reserves and ever-increasing demands for energy make developments in energy storage capabilities vital. Battery usage is becoming increasingly widespread, but this is presenting new challenges due to materials scarcity and limitations in battery performance. It is vital that the increased exploitation of existing battery materials and the development of next generation batteries proceeds through sustainable approaches.

We propose to deliver a continuous, scaled-up route for the preparation of next generation battery materials. We will exploit the efficiency of microwave reactors with a high throughput approach to deliver a 'greener' route to existing battery materials. In parallel to this we will explore the opportunities of integration of battery components into polymeric matrices to allow rapid, high accuracy materials deposition to deliver exceptionally high quality devices capable of safely integrating the higher energy density materials of the future.

We have targeted specific materials that have known function as cathodes, anodes or electrolytes and will deliver bulk quantities of these whilst investigating related materials designed with optimised properties. State-of-the art computational approaches to materials exploration in silico will run in close collaboration with the synthetic teams in order to give a fast, iterative process of materials discovery, investigation and exploitation.

The multiple electrochemical, structural and compositional changes that occur during battery operation must be understood in order to exploit these materials in a safe, reliable manner so that devices can be delivered to end users. The team will bring their extensive experience to bear on these problems to carry out the full structural, compositional and electrochemical analysis of these materials, vital in delivering reliable performance. Expertise in probing the local structure will allow us to generate insights into the nature of the electrochemical interfaces between anode/electrode/cathode. These are the regions where materials are at the limits of their (electro)chemical stability and so this understanding will allow us to find and then improve the limits of materials' performance in operando.

Global warming, carbon emissions and depletion of fossil fuels are regularly featured in our news streams and it is critical we find solutions to these impending problems. Li-ion batteries now power our portable devices and have begun to emerge as alternatives for hybrid electric and electric vehicles, making the potential impact of our research far-reaching given current global energy demands. The anticipated tripling of global energy consumption by the year 2100 means that any advances we make in the field of Li-ion battery energy storage as part of this SUPERGEN project will have a clear economic impact, as improvements in current energy storage in terms of energy and power densities must be made for expansion in the growing HEV market.

The project's vision is focused on tackling the challenges of providing next generation energy storage devices, from initial materials design and synthesis through to device manufacture. State-of-the-art advanced characterisation techniques, including local structural and dynamical probes, and a host of high level computational methods will be employed to guide the microwave-assisted synthetic design of Li-ion battery materials. The project will exploit the close connections with the solid state and the computational materials science and engineering communities. Academic results will be conveyed to major industrial partners (Johnston Matthey) as well as UK small medium enterprises (SMEs). Feedback of our findings to the research community and energy-related industry will have enormous economic impact in terms of (a) synthetic design of energy materials and (b) meeting global energy requirements through scaled-up synthesis and device development. This will help to preserve the UK position at the forefront of Li ion battery technology, generating UK jobs and economic growth. Our fundamental efforts will underpin this progress.

Our consortium represents a assembly of established world-leading research teams and emerging investigators from across the UK with excellent early track records in materials and energy-related research. The unique mix of expertise from materials design and synthesis, modelling and simulations, device integration and manufacture and to advanced characterisation techniques is key in tackling the challenges highlighted in the Case for Support. A major outcome of this SUPERGEN proposal will be people impact in terms of career development of emerging project partners and the three PDRAs who will be hired as a result of this funding. Knowledge dissemination will also be achieved through conference organisation and presentation of our work at national and international conferences.

The Pathways to Impact document highlights four routes to impact on our ambition of providing the next generation of energy storage devices; i) building a critical mass of research expertise between our institutions, ii) provision of an excellent multi-site research environment for PDRAs, iii) public engagement by increasing awareness of battery technologies through training, publications, IP and outreach and iv) industrial engagement by providing useful targets and insights for industry and manufacturers.