Solid State Chemistry for Next Generation Energy Storage and Conversion Technologies

越来越需要确定具有成本效益的可持续和环境友好的替代能源。电化学能量转换和存储装置，例如燃料电池和蓄电池，代表了用于广泛的能量需求的清洁替代能源，包括便携式电子设备、运输、峰值功率需求和电网规模应用。燃料电池是一种电化学电池，其从外部燃料供应（例如氢、天然气、煤或生物气）与氧化剂之间的电化学氧化还原反应直接以非常高的效率产生电力。以氢为动力的燃料电池将产生直流电、热量和水，而不会排放传统污染物或温室气体。尽管固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC）等碳氢化合物燃料电池会产生二氧化碳，但可以使用碳捕获和储存技术将其储存起来，以消除其碳足迹。质子交换膜燃料电池（PEMFC），利用氢，正在用于运输。然而，目前的SOFC和PEMFC太昂贵而不能广泛使用。虽然电池在储能技术中很普遍，并且类似于燃料电池，但它们依靠电池内部的化学物质运行，必须定期充电。在广泛应用之前，最先进的锂离子电池的能量密度、功率密度和安全性需要进一步研究。该NSERC DG提案旨在通过用具有高离子电导率和电化学稳定性的薄膜不易燃陶瓷基固态电解质取代易燃有机电解质来解决当前锂离子电池的关键问题之一。此外，燃料电池的挑战将通过开发用于PEMFC的有机-无机混合无水质子导体和用于SOFC的陶瓷质子导体来解决。固体电解质在这些电化学装置中用作阳极和阴极之间的分隔物，并且控制电池的操作条件、性能和耐久性。当前提案的主要目标是通过深入了解结构-离子电导率-电化学稳定性关系，开发基于无机化合物的高导电固态质子、Li+、Na+和Mg 2+电解质。产生高导电性和稳定的固体电解质是长期稳定的SOFC、PEMFC和固态电池成功商业化的关键一步。先进的全固态电池应该是安全的，坚固的，并提供高能量密度。该研究计划还将培训大量的HQP，让他们在固态材料研究及其在可持续能源开发中的应用方面获得实践经验，以提高生活质量。**

There is a growing need to identify cost effective alternative energy resources that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, such as fuel cells and batteries, represent a clean alternative energy source for a broad range of energy needs, including portable electronics, transportation, peak-power demand, and grid-scale applications. A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that directly produces electricity from an electrochemical redox reaction between an external fuel supply, such as hydrogen, natural gas, coal, or biogas, and an oxidant, with very high efficiency. A fuel cell running on hydrogen will produce direct current, heat, and water without emitting conventional pollutants or greenhouse gases. Though hydrocarbon-powered fuel cells, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), produce CO2, it can be stored using carbon capture and storage technology to eliminate its carbon footprint. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), utilizing hydrogen, are being used for transportation. However, current SOFCs and PEMFCs are too expensive to be widely employed. While batteries are pervasive in energy storage technology and are similar to fuel cells, they operate on the chemicals inside the battery and must be periodically recharged. The energy density, power density and the safety of state-of-the-art Li ion batteries require further investigation before wide-spread applications. This NSERC DG proposal aims to solve one of the critical issues in current Li ion batteries by replacing flammable organic electrolytes with thin-film non-flammable ceramic-based solid-state electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability. Furthermore, challenges in fuel cells will be resolved by developing organic-inorganic hybrid anhydrous proton conductors for PEMFCs and ceramic proton conductors for SOFCs. Solid electrolytes serve as a separator between the anode and cathode in these electrochemical devices and control the operational conditions, performance, and durability of the cell. The key objectives of the current proposal are to develop highly conductive solid state proton, Li+, Na+ and Mg2+ electrolytes based on inorganic compounds, through a deep understanding of structure-ionic conductivity-electrochemical stability relationships. Generating highly conductive and stable solid electrolytes is a key step towards successful commercialization of long-term stable SOFCs, PEMFCs, and solid state batteries. Advanced all-solid-state batteries should be safe, robust, and provide high energy density. This research program will also train a significant number of HQP, giving all of them hands-on experience in solid-state materials research and its application to sustainable energy development for a better quality of life. **