Nanoscale Design of Battery Electrodes for Optimized Performance and Lifetime

The role of electrode structure has been poorly explored in the literature, but nanostructured electrodes in principle offer many advantages including faster charging and higher energy capacity. They are however, limited by their large surface area which drives thermodynamic interfacial instability, and may create local 'hot spots' for unwanted reactions with the electrolyte. This project will explore strategies to overcome these challenges, whilst delivering the benefits of nano-architectured systems. In particular it will focus on the preparation of enhanced, designed interfaces for sodium-ion anodes, as part of a larger intended collaboration. The key activities will be:
-Design. The development of pre-designed interfaces will prevent irreversible loss, stabilise small features, and improve understanding of electrode-electrolyte interfaces
-Processing. Pre-grafting / reacting targeted interphases, using reductively driven chemistry (pioneered at Imperial) provides a route to produce stable materials

-Characterisation. The stability of both electrode and interphase will be studied using in situ electrochemical cells developed by Imperial for use at National facilities
In the longer term, stabilised interfaces will enable a range of nanostructured electrode developments in the future, including
-topologically optimised architectures to resolve conflicting ion/electron/mechanical demands
-use of continuous, robust conductive framework aerogels to support new and/or challenging chemistries