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

首先，我们将在最近关于高性能石墨烯层压超级电容器的突破性实验工作[1]的基础上，分别优化1）能量密度和2）设计具有成本效益的方法，以扩大可持续前体的生产。与此同时，我们将进行第一次实验性概念验证工作，以验证我们最近提出的关于EES新范例的理论建议-赝电容电池- [2]，该电池使用新型赝电容存储机制，利用我们可以生产的新型扩展分层材料[3]。所提出的伪电容式法拉第能量存储机制模仿了传统超级电容器的充电特性，提供了“理想”的伪电容响应。通过“量子化电容”的电荷存储是纳米颗粒中由电子-电子相互作用产生的可观察到的法拉第机制，其已在理论上被证明满足理想赝电容所需的标准。从理论上讲，这种创新的充电方案导致了发展的电容性，产生了该领域长期寻求的高功率密度和能量密度的组合[2]。学生将接受一系列补充分析技术的培训，用于在物理系和电化学创新实验室（UCL化学工程）以及QMUL的PC实验室测试电化学性能和材料表征，用于设备制造和电化学表征。在前三个月，学生将接受一系列补充表征技术的培训，包括衍射，XPS，扫描探针和高级TEM方法。此外，学生将接受一系列主题的培训，以支持他们的研究进展，包括科学传播，研究伦理，职业发展规划和数据科学。

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.