Solid State Chemistry for Next Generation Energy Storage and Conversion Technologies

人们越来越需要确定具有成本效益、可持续和环境友好的替代能源。燃料电池和电池等电化学能量转换和存储设备是一种清洁的替代能源，可满足广泛的能源需求，包括便携式电子产品、交通运输、峰值功率需求和电网规模的应用。燃料电池是一种电化学电池，它直接从外部燃料供应(如氢、天然气、煤或沼气)和氧化剂之间的电化学氧化还原反应中产生电能，效率非常高。以氢为动力的燃料电池将产生直流电、热量和水，而不会排放常规污染物或温室气体。尽管碳氢燃料电池，如固体氧化物燃料电池(SOFC)会产生二氧化碳，但可以使用碳捕获和储存技术来储存，以消除其碳足迹。利用氢的质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)正被用于运输。然而，目前的SOFC和PEMFC价格太高，无法广泛应用。虽然电池在储能技术中无处不在，类似于燃料电池，但它们对电池内的化学物质进行操作，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。NSERC DG建议旨在用具有高离子导电性和电化学稳定性的薄膜不可燃陶瓷基固态电解液取代易燃有机电解液，以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质子交换膜燃料电池的有机-无机杂化无水质子导体和用于固体氧化物燃料电池的陶瓷质子导体来解决。在这些电化学设备中，固体电解质充当阳极和阴极之间的隔离物，并控制电池的运行条件、性能和耐久性。本提案的主要目标是通过对结构-离子电导率-电化学稳定性关系的深入了解，开发基于无机化合物的高导电性质子、Li+、Na+和Mg2+固体电解质。生产高导电性和稳定性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安全、坚固，并提供高能量密度。该研究项目还将培训大量的HQP，让他们在固态材料研究及其应用于可持续能源开发以提高生活质量方面拥有实践经验。**

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. **