Amplifying Ion Transport at the Interfaces of Solid-State Batteries

Lead Research Organisation: Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences

Abstract

Building better batteries is one of the major scientific and societal challenges of the 21st century. However, incremental improvements to current batteries cannot meet the requirements necessary for Europe to reach its net-zero goals by 2050. Next-generation batteries are therefore essential for the transformational improvements in performance required for the electrification of transport and grid-scale storage of energy from renewable resources. Nevertheless, the full potential of such batteries is severely hindered by numerous underlying challenges, many of which centre on the ion transport and interfaces in their constituent materials.

Building upon my expertise and proven track record in the atomistic simulation of materials and connecting such simulations to the macroscale, AMPed will revolutionise the understanding and design of the ion transport and interfaces within solid-state battery architectures. AMPed will utilise state-of-the-art classical, quantum mechanical, structure prediction and machine learning approaches to develop battery materials with improved performance, stability and sustainability by achieving the following four key objectives:

(1) Establish a new time-domain paradigm for understanding ion transport in solid electrolytes
(2) Explore nanostructured solid electrolytes for optimised performance
(3) Mitigate resistance and instability at heterointerfaces in solid-state batteries
(4) Drive transition to sustainable solid-state sodium batteries

These novel and exploratory models will be experimentally validated in partnership with my close network of interdisciplinary experts in battery materials and devices. AMPed will provide transformative opportunities for the design of energy materials and push the boundaries of computational energy materials design, thereby advancing the excellence of energy research in Europe and further consolidating my research at the frontier of computational materials science.

Publications

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