ISCF Wave 1: Materials research hub for energy conversion, capture, and storage

实现一个安全、低碳的能源未来取决于将可变发电大规模地纳入能源系统，以及有效地收集可再生能源。电化学和光电转换装置是实现这一目标的关键。控制所有这类设备性能的基本现象是电荷在材料内部和材料之间的传输。能量捕获、转换和存储材料研究中心（M-RHECCS）旨在推进对控制能量材料中电荷传输的结构/功能关系的理解，形成控制电荷迁移和交换的一般原则。这样，我们将为下一代能源材料的明智设计奠定基础。在此规模下，之前的努力建立了以孤立技术为中心的团队。我们的愿景更加一体化，认识到电子、离子和混合导体构成了太阳能电池、燃料电池、电池、电容器和电解槽的工作核心。令人印象深刻的进展已经面临一些挑战，交付创新的过程、分析技术和计算模型，但是应用领域之间的不良集成限制了进展。M-RHECCS汇集了世界领先的材料学科和能源技术专家，形成了一个新的网络，鼓励非传统思维激发变革科学。M-RHECCS将连接跨学科的实验学家和理论家，以推进电荷迁移的基础科学。团队成员还将研究将新科学转化为制造和应用的挑战。为了确保影响，我们建议将重点放在以下方面：1)通过制造产生电力和能量的多孔电极和多孔或微结构复合材料来打破“电力或能源”的范式；2)控制混合离子/电子导体（miec）中电荷迁移率的结构/功能关系，并最终控制基于miec的电极和活性介质的性能和稳定性；3)阐明非常规离子导电聚合物和陶瓷的传输模式。多孔电极和微结构复合材料用于几乎所有的电化学装置和新型太阳能电池。我们将研究孔隙大小、结构和顺序如何影响电化学系统中的功率和能量密度，微观结构如何影响太阳能电池中的电流产生和效率，以及如何优化两者。单相miec存在于混合太阳能电池的电极和有源层，以及燃料电池、电解槽和锂离子电池的电极中。光学、电学和电化学测量，以及自一致的模拟，将结合起来阐明控制电荷迁移率和稳定性的关键问题的因素。离子导电聚合物和陶瓷是燃料电池和电解槽的核心，固体Li+导体可以实现全固态电池，但必须实现高导电性和合适的机械性能。我们的目标是了解控制离子传输的材料特性，为设计创新导体铺平道路。M-RHECCS还将研究将多孔电极，miec和离子交换材料的进展转化为可伸缩材料和设备。我们将通过对实际建筑集成太阳能发电/存储系统的运行数据的详细分析，评估更好的电荷传输材料对发电的价值。与众多工业合作伙伴的合作将使我们的工作影响最大化。M-RHECCS不仅将我们五个合作机构的能源材料研究人员聚集在一起，还将在英国学术界、工业界、政府等领域拥有共同利益的网络利益相关者聚集在一起。我们将与收费运输材料领域的国际领导者接触，邀请他们更广泛地访问枢纽和英国，并参加M-RHECCS组织的网络活动。

Realising a secure, low-carbon energy future depends upon integrating variable generation into the energy system at a large scale, as well as efficiently harvesting renewable energy. Electrochemical and photoelectrical conversion devices are critical to this goal. The fundamental phenomenon that controls how all such devices perform is charge transport, both through and between materials. The Materials Research Hub for Energy Capture, Conversion, and Storage (M-RHECCS) sets out to advance understanding of the structure/function relations that control charge transport in energy materials, forging general principles that govern charge mobility and exchange. By so doing we will lay a foundation for the informed design of next-generation energy materials. Prior efforts at this scale have built teams centred on isolated technologies. Our vision is more integrated, recognizing that electronic, ionic, and mixed conductors form the operational cores of solar cells, fuel cells, batteries, capacitors, and electrolysers. Impressive advances have been made to face some challenges, delivering innovative processes, analytical techniques, and computational models, but poor integration between application areas restricts progress. M-RHECCS brings together world-leading experts across materials disciplines and energy technologies to form a new network, encouraging unorthodox thinking to spark transformative science. The M-RHECCS will connect experimentalists and theorists across disciplines to advance the basic science of charge mobility. Team members will also examine challenges in translating new science into manufacture and application.To ensure impact we propose to focus on 1) breaking the paradigm of 'power or energy' by making porous electrodes and porous or microstructured composites that produce power and energy, 2) structure/function relations that govern charge mobility in mixed ion/electron conductors (MIECs) and ultimately control the performance and stability of MIEC-based electrodes and active media and 3) elucidating transport modes in unconventional ion conducting polymers and ceramics. Porous electrodes and microstructured composites are used in almost all electrochemical devices and in new types of solar cell. We shall investigate how pore size, structure, and order influence power and energy density in electrochemical systems, how microstructure influences current generation and efficiency in solar cells, and how to optimise both. Single-phase MIECs are found in electrodes and active layers of hybrid solar cells, as well as electrodes in fuel cells, electrolysers, and Li-ion batteries. Optical, electrical, and electrochemical measurements, and self-consistent simulation, will combine to elucidate factors that control charge mobility and the critical issue of stability. Ion-conducting polymers and ceramics are core to fuel cells and electrolysers, and solid Li+ conductors could enable all-solid-state batteries, but high conductivity and suitable mechanical properties must be achieved. We aim to learn what material features control ion transport to pave the way for designing innovative conductors. M-RHECCS will also research the translation of advances in porous electrodes, MIECs and ion-exchange materials into scaleable materials and devices. We will assess the value of better charge-transport materials to power generation via detailed analysis of operational data from actual building-integrated solar generation/storage systems . Engagement with our many industrial partners will maximise our work's impact.The M-RHECCS will pull together not only the energy materials researchers across our five partner institutions but also network stakeholders with cognate interests across the UK, in academia, industry, government, and beyond. We will engage with international leaders in charge-transport materials, inviting them to visit the Hub and the UK more widely and take part in M-RHECCS organised networking events.