Microwave-Assisted Chemical Insertion for Designing Multivalent-ion Battery Hosts

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NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYRapid increase in global energy use and growing environmental concerns are prompting the development of clean, sustainable, energy conversion and storage technologies. Renewable energy sources, offer an appealing solution to this challenge, but efficient and economical storage of electricity produced from renewable sources is crucial for using these intermittent energy sources. Rechargeable batteries (today's lithium-ion batteries) are the most viable option for the efficient storage and utilization of electrical energy. However, the limited abundance of lithium necessitates the development of rechargeable batteries based on earth-abundant, safer, multivalent metal ions, such as magnesium, zinc, and aluminium, for large-scale applications like renewable energy storage and electric vehicles. Currently, the lack of appropriate electrode materials and electrolytes hampers the development of such batteries. This project, which is funded by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry Program in the Division of Materials Research, focuses on developing and using a facile, microwave-assisted synthesis process to screen and develop new electrode materials for multivalent-ion batteries. The insights and scientific understanding obtained with this project can pave the way for the design and development of next-generation of advanced rechargeable batteries. In addition, the project provides a broad interdisciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate students as well as community college students and teachers in the globally important area of clean energy, encompassing materials chemistry and electrochemistry.TECHNICAL SUMMARYRapid increase in global energy use and growing environmental concerns are prompting the development of clean, sustainable, energy conversion and storage technologies. In this regard, there is immense interest to develop rechargeable batteries based on earth-abundant, safer, multivalent working ions, such as Mg, Zn, Ca, and Al, but the lack of adequate electrolytes makes the development of multivalent-ion batteries extremely challenging. This project, which is funded by the Solid State and Materials program in the Division of Materials Research, focuses on utilizing a facile, microwave-assisted synthesis with safer, easy-to-handle chemicals to insert multivalent ions into host materials and develop potential electrode materials for multivalent-ion batteries. The approach not only serves as a fast screening platform for quickly identifying viable hosts without the necessity of making electrochemical cells, but also offers the accessibility of new kinetically stabilized phases/compositions that are otherwise inaccessible by conventional high-temperature solid-state methods. With the multivalent-ion chemical insertion technique, the project plans to (i) identify high-performance multivalent-ion host materials, (ii) establish a fundamental understanding of their crystal chemistry, electrochemical behavior, and ionic and electronic transport properties, and (iii) demonstrate their feasibility for electrical energy storage. The chemically prepared phases will also allow a precise investigation of their structural, morphological, electrochemical, and ionic/electronic transport properties without the added complexity that arises when retrieving and using an electrode material from an electrochemical cell. The insights and fundamental understanding obtained with this project can pave the way for the design and development of next-generation of advanced rechargeable multivalent-ion batteries. In addition, the project provides a broad interdisciplinary training to graduate and undergraduate students as well as community college students and teachers in the globally important area of clean energy, encompassing materials chemistry and electrochemistry.