Sustainable aqueous Sodium-ion batteries

可充电电池为各种类型的移动电子设备提供动力，并在电网存储方面显示出非凡的前景。事实上，锂离子电池(LIB)的需求在过去几年中激增，主要用于便携式电子产品(即手机、平板电脑、笔记本电脑)的移动应用，并主要由层状氧化物材料(例如Li(Ni，Mn，Co)O2和Li(Ni，Co，Al)O2)提供动力。由于电动汽车(EVS)的商业化现在推动了电池市场，这些层状氧化物有望迎来光明的未来。这一重要的需求增长给库存和组成锂离子电池材料的有价值元素(例如锂、钴、镍)的可用性带来了压力。假设这些战略要素中的大多数将基本上用于电动汽车，那么今天其他电池技术也会被考虑。对于电网存储，钠电池技术可能是LIBS的一个有前途的替代方案。对于这种应用，最重要的参数是长循环寿命、高安全、低成本和环保。在这种情况下，如果我们考虑使用从广泛可用的资源中获得的稳定和低成本的电极材料，水钠离子电池可能满足这些要求。拟议的计划旨在研究新的可持续发展的水基钠离子电池。这将涉及考虑使用丰富的元素合成(新的)电极材料，使用环保粘结剂和可加工性，以及使用环境无害的水溶液电解液(优先考虑海水)。这些电池组件集成到钠离子电池中后将进行深入的表征，以考察它们在循环中的稳定性。电极/电解液界面的预期退化将通过考虑无机/聚合物涂层来解决，以避免不必要的反应并允许设备的长循环寿命。尽量减少或防止材料表面的水分解和放氢是很重要的。对不同界面的调查将使用最先进的设备进行评估，这些设备允许进行现场/手术研究(设备最近由加拿大魁北克创新基金会资助的枫树项目)。这项研究计划涉及多学科的考虑，它植根于基本的理解，这将使开发改进的材料和设备成为可能。新型电化学蓄电池的开发依赖于更丰富和环保的成分，对我们的社会至关重要，也将成为本计划的目标，这为发展绿色可持续的钠离子水基电池提供了重要的潜在突破。

Rechargeable batteries power extensive types of mobile electronics and shown extraordinary promise for grid storage. Indeed, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) demand has surged in the last years, mainly as mobile application in portable electronics (i.e. cellphones, tablets, laptops) and primarily powered by layered oxides materials (e.g. Li(Ni,Mn,Co)O2 and Li(Ni,Co,Al)O2). A bright future is expected for these layered oxides as the battery market is now driven by the commercialization of electrical vehicles (EVs). This important increase of demand puts pressure on the stock and on the availability of the valuable elements composing the Li-ion battery materials (e.g. Lithium, Cobalt, Nickel). Assuming most of these strategic elements will essentially be used in EVs, other battery technologies are todays considered. For grid storage, sodium battery technology could be a promising alternative to LIBs. For such application, the most important parameters are long cycle life, high safety, low cost and eco-friendly. In this context, aqueous Na-ion batteries may meet these requirements if we consider the use of stable and low-cost electrode materials derived from broadly available resources. The proposed program aims to investigate new sustainable aqueous Na-ion batteries. This will involve considering the synthesis of (new) electrode materials using abundant elements, the use and processability of eco-friendly binders and the use of environmentally benign aqueous electrolytes (seawater as a priority). These battery components will be deeply characterized after integration in Na-ion cells in order to investigate their stability upon cycling. Expected degradation of the electrode/electrolyte interfaces will be address by considering inorganic/polymer coatings to avoid unwanted reactions and to allow long cycle life of the devices. It will be important to minimize or prevent water decomposition and hydrogen evolution at the material surface. The investigation of the different interfaces will be assessed by state-of-the-art equipment allowing in situ/operando studies (equipment recently funded in the MAPLES project by the Canada Foundation for Innovation/Québec). This research program involves multi-disciplinary consideration and it is rooted in basic understanding which will enable developing improved materials and devices. The development new electrochemical storage batteries, which rely on more abundant and eco-friendly components, is crucial for our society and will be targeted in this program, which offers important potential breakthroughs to develop green sustainable sodium-ion aqueous batteries.