UPDATE - Upcycling Plastic Debris to Alkali-ion-battery Top-quality Electrodes

Every year, the amount of plastic waste in the World reaches critical levels of 9.5 million metric tons. Due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, the total amount of plastic has further increased due to single-use personal protective equipment daily disposed of. This has detrimental effects on our planet's environmental quality. Autogenic pressure carbonization of plastic can convert deleterious plastic waste into carbon-based battery electrodes of high value, providing abundant and efficient energy materials.
This proposal aims to upcycle non-recyclable plastic waste into hard/soft carbon composites for rechargeable batteries. The composites will be fabricated through catalyzed autogenic pressure carbonization at various temperatures and analyzed in real time. They will then be used to construct anodes in alkali (Li, Na)-ion batteries. The fundamental science behind alkali-ion battery performance based on such composites will be investigated using operando characterization techniques such as 7Li, and 23Na solid-state NMR to reveal the underlying mechanism of alkali ions insertion. I choose to treat plastic waste for three main reasons:
1) reducing its environmental impact;
2) exploiting its large abundance during the entire project;
3) investigating the composition-dependent mechanisms and efficiencies of the wide range of commercial plastic types available.
Magda Titirici (host), acknowledged as one of the top global experts in carbon-based materials, and the top-tier setting offered at Imperial supplies an ideal environment. Throughout my Ph.D., I have acquired considerable expertise in the characterization of thermal processes of polymers and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. This knowledge integrates the expertise of my host in carbonbased batteries and electrochemistry. We will identify the optimal properties of hard carbon anodes to fit each particular battery chemistry and promote the development of safe, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly batteries.