Design and high throughput microwave synthesis of Li-ion battery materials

日益减少的化石燃料储量和不断增长的能源需求使得能源储存能力的发展至关重要。电池的使用越来越广泛，但由于材料稀缺和电池性能的限制，这带来了新的挑战。至关重要的是，现有电池材料的开发和下一代电池的开发要通过可持续的方法进行。我们建议为下一代电池材料的制备提供一个连续的、规模化的路线。我们将利用微波反应器的效率和高通量方法，为现有电池材料提供“更环保”的途径。与此同时，我们将探索将电池组件集成到聚合物基质中的机会，以实现快速、高精度的材料沉积，从而提供能够安全地集成未来更高能量密度材料的高质量设备。我们针对具有已知功能的阴极，阳极或电解质的特定材料，并将提供大量这些材料，同时研究设计具有优化性能的相关材料。最先进的硅材料探索计算方法将与合成团队密切合作，以提供快速，迭代的材料发现，调查和开发过程。为了以安全、可靠的方式利用这些材料，以便将设备交付给最终用户，必须了解电池运行过程中发生的多种电化学、结构和成分变化。该团队将利用他们丰富的经验来解决这些问题，对这些材料进行全面的结构、成分和电化学分析，这对于提供可靠的性能至关重要。探测局部结构的专业知识将使我们能够深入了解阳极/电极/阴极之间电化学界面的性质。这些是材料处于其（电）化学稳定性极限的区域，因此这种理解将使我们能够找到并改进材料在operando中的性能极限。

Declining fossil fuel reserves and ever-increasing demands for energy make developments in energy storage capabilities vital. Battery usage is becoming increasingly widespread, but this is presenting new challenges due to materials scarcity and limitations in battery performance. It is vital that the increased exploitation of existing battery materials and the development of next generation batteries proceeds through sustainable approaches.We propose to deliver a continuous, scaled-up route for the preparation of next generation battery materials. We will exploit the efficiency of microwave reactors with a high throughput approach to deliver a 'greener' route to existing battery materials. In parallel to this we will explore the opportunities of integration of battery components into polymeric matrices to allow rapid, high accuracy materials deposition to deliver exceptionally high quality devices capable of safely integrating the higher energy density materials of the future.We have targeted specific materials that have known function as cathodes, anodes or electrolytes and will deliver bulk quantities of these whilst investigating related materials designed with optimised properties. State-of-the art computational approaches to materials exploration in silico will run in close collaboration with the synthetic teams in order to give a fast, iterative process of materials discovery, investigation and exploitation.The multiple electrochemical, structural and compositional changes that occur during battery operation must be understood in order to exploit these materials in a safe, reliable manner so that devices can be delivered to end users. The team will bring their extensive experience to bear on these problems to carry out the full structural, compositional and electrochemical analysis of these materials, vital in delivering reliable performance. Expertise in probing the local structure will allow us to generate insights into the nature of the electrochemical interfaces between anode/electrode/cathode. These are the regions where materials are at the limits of their (electro)chemical stability and so this understanding will allow us to find and then improve the limits of materials' performance in operando.