UPDATE - Upcycling Plastic Debris to Alkali-ion-battery Top-quality Electrodes

每年，世界上的塑料垃圾量达到950万公吨的临界水平。由于COVID-19疫情持续，塑料总量因每日弃置一次性个人防护设备而进一步增加。这对我们星球的环境质量产生了有害影响。塑料的自生压力碳化可以将有害的塑料废弃物转化为高价值的碳基电池电极，提供丰富而高效的能源材料。该方案旨在将不可回收的塑料废弃物升级循环为可充电电池的硬/软碳复合材料。在不同温度下通过催化自生压力碳化制备复合材料，并进行真实的实时分析。然后，它们将用于构建碱（Li，Na）离子电池的阳极。基于这种复合材料的碱离子电池性能背后的基础科学将使用操作表征技术（如7 Li和23 Na固态NMR）进行研究，以揭示碱离子插入的潜在机制。我选择处理塑料垃圾有三个主要原因：1）减少其对环境的影响;2）在整个项目中充分利用其丰富的资源;3）研究各种商业塑料的成分依赖机制和效率。Magda Titirici（主持人）是全球公认的碳基材料专家之一，帝国提供的顶级环境为我们提供了理想的环境。在我的博士学位期间，我在聚合物的热过程和固态NMR光谱的表征方面获得了相当多的专业知识。这些知识结合了我的主人在碳基电池和电化学方面的专业知识。我们将确定硬碳阳极的最佳性能，以适应每种特定的电池化学，并促进安全，廉价和环保电池的开发。

Every year, the amount of plastic waste in the World reaches critical levels of 9.5 million metric tons. Due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, the total amount of plastic has further increased due to single-use personal protective equipment daily disposed of. This has detrimental effects on our planet's environmental quality. Autogenic pressure carbonization of plastic can convert deleterious plastic waste into carbon-based battery electrodes of high value, providing abundant and efficient energy materials.This proposal aims to upcycle non-recyclable plastic waste into hard/soft carbon composites for rechargeable batteries. The composites will be fabricated through catalyzed autogenic pressure carbonization at various temperatures and analyzed in real time. They will then be used to construct anodes in alkali (Li, Na)-ion batteries. The fundamental science behind alkali-ion battery performance based on such composites will be investigated using operando characterization techniques such as 7Li, and 23Na solid-state NMR to reveal the underlying mechanism of alkali ions insertion. I choose to treat plastic waste for three main reasons:1) reducing its environmental impact;2) exploiting its large abundance during the entire project;3) investigating the composition-dependent mechanisms and efficiencies of the wide range of commercial plastic types available.Magda Titirici (host), acknowledged as one of the top global experts in carbon-based materials, and the top-tier setting offered at Imperial supplies an ideal environment. Throughout my Ph.D., I have acquired considerable expertise in the characterization of thermal processes of polymers and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. This knowledge integrates the expertise of my host in carbonbased batteries and electrochemistry. We will identify the optimal properties of hard carbon anodes to fit each particular battery chemistry and promote the development of safe, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly batteries.