Investigating a New Paradigm For Electrical Energy Storage Devices Capable of High Power and Energy Densities

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Firstly, we will build upon recent breakthrough experimental work [1] on high-performance graphene laminate supercapacitors to optimise separately on 1) energy density and 2) devising cost-effective methods to scale up production from sustainable precursors. In parallel, we will perform the first experimental proof-of-concept work to validate our recent theoretical proposal for a new paradigm of EES - the pseudocapacitive battery - [2] that uses a novel-pseudocapacitive storage mechanism, taking advantage of the novel, expanded layered materials we can produce [3]. This proposed pseudocapacitive Faradic energy storage mechanism mimics the charging properties of a conventional supercapacitor, providing an "ideal" pseudocapacitive response. The charge storage through "quantised capacitance" is an observable Faradaic mechanism in nanoparticles arising from electronelectron interactions, which has been theoretically proved to satisfy the required criteria for ideal pseudocapacitance. In theory, this innovative charge scheme leads to a developed capacitive, yielding the combination of high power density and energy density long sought by the field [2]. The student will be trained in a range of complementary analytical techniques for testing electrochemical performance and materials characterisation at the Physics Department and Electrochemical Innovation Laboratory (UCL Chemical Engineering) and PC labs at QMUL for device manufacture and electrochemical characterisation. During the first three months, the student will be trained in a range of complementary characterisation techniques, including diffraction, XPS, Scanning Probe and Advanced TEM methods. Additionally, the student will receive training in a range of topics that will support their research progress, including science communication, research ethics, career development planning and data science.