Advanced all-Iron flow batteries for stationary energy storage. Iron flow batteries are one of the most promising choices for clean, reliable and cost effective long-duration energy storage. The main obstacle for large scale commercial deployment is the low round-trip energy efficiency caused by the competitive side reaction that occurs at the negative electrode during battery charging. The project aims to address this issue by engineering the negative electrode-electrolyte interface with functi ....Advanced all-Iron flow batteries for stationary energy storage. Iron flow batteries are one of the most promising choices for clean, reliable and cost effective long-duration energy storage. The main obstacle for large scale commercial deployment is the low round-trip energy efficiency caused by the competitive side reaction that occurs at the negative electrode during battery charging. The project aims to address this issue by engineering the negative electrode-electrolyte interface with functional materials to improve battery performance and thus further reduce the cost of energy storage. Expected outcomes include new materials and methods for advanced battery technology and manufacturing. The success of the project will significantly support the national priority of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.Read moreRead less
Electrolyte and interface engineering of solid-state sodium batteries. This project aims to develop large-scale solid-state sodium-ion batteries exhibiting better safety compared to classic liquid electrolyte batteries without compromising on performance, thus addressing the significant issue of safety in batteries. This will be achieved by novel engineering of solid-state electrolytes and electrolyte-electrode interfacing by a fundamental understanding of sodium-ion transport using statistical ....Electrolyte and interface engineering of solid-state sodium batteries. This project aims to develop large-scale solid-state sodium-ion batteries exhibiting better safety compared to classic liquid electrolyte batteries without compromising on performance, thus addressing the significant issue of safety in batteries. This will be achieved by novel engineering of solid-state electrolytes and electrolyte-electrode interfacing by a fundamental understanding of sodium-ion transport using statistical and machine-learning techniques. Expected outcomes include an understanding of ion-transport mechanisms in batteries, delivery of advanced solid-state electrolytes with high ionic conductivity, and batteries with excellent performance and safety characteristics, which benefits Australia's environment and sustainability.Read moreRead less
Developing lithium metal batteries – a game-changer for renewable energy. This project aims to develop nanostructured lithium metal anodes for rechargeable lithium metal batteries with high energy density and excellent cycle life. Lithium metal batteries such as lithium-sulfur batteries and lithium carbon-dioxide batteries present great opportunities for long-range electric vehicles and high-efficient renewable energy storage. Through the rational structure design and advanced interface engineer ....Developing lithium metal batteries – a game-changer for renewable energy. This project aims to develop nanostructured lithium metal anodes for rechargeable lithium metal batteries with high energy density and excellent cycle life. Lithium metal batteries such as lithium-sulfur batteries and lithium carbon-dioxide batteries present great opportunities for long-range electric vehicles and high-efficient renewable energy storage. Through the rational structure design and advanced interface engineering, the developed lithium metal anodes are expected to overcome the critical issues that hindered their practical application for high-energy batteries. The success of this project will provide new technological solutions for next-generation energy storage devices.Read moreRead less
Solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine Flow Batteries. This project aims to develop a new solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine flow battery for better utilization of the abundant yet intermittently available sunlight. The key design is to create a solar-driven photoelectrochemical process to convert the discharged electrode materials back to their charged states and realise the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new solar driven rechargeable technology and photoelectrode materials, as ....Solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine Flow Batteries. This project aims to develop a new solar rechargeable Zinc-Bromine flow battery for better utilization of the abundant yet intermittently available sunlight. The key design is to create a solar-driven photoelectrochemical process to convert the discharged electrode materials back to their charged states and realise the direct storage of solar energy. Expected outcomes include new solar driven rechargeable technology and photoelectrode materials, as well as new knowledge generated from collaborations across materials science, photoelectrochemistry and nanotechnology disciplines. Further advances in functional materials for solar energy storage will assist in addressing the global energy shortage and mitigating environmental pollution.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100868
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,847.00
Summary
High-energy lithium-air batteries, a breathable future for renewable energy. Lithium-air (Li-air) batteries have the highest energy density which is ten folds over commercial lithium-ion batteries. However, the development of Li-air batteries has been impeded by challenges including low capacity, poor energy efficiency and limited cycle life. This project aims to develop a high-energy Li-air battery prototype with long cycle life by designing functional quasi-solid gel polymer electrolytes with ....High-energy lithium-air batteries, a breathable future for renewable energy. Lithium-air (Li-air) batteries have the highest energy density which is ten folds over commercial lithium-ion batteries. However, the development of Li-air batteries has been impeded by challenges including low capacity, poor energy efficiency and limited cycle life. This project aims to develop a high-energy Li-air battery prototype with long cycle life by designing functional quasi-solid gel polymer electrolytes with multi-layer structures via molecular tuning, which could potentially power next-generation electric vehicles. This project is expected to facilitate the commercialisation of high-performance Li-air batteries and promote the development of energy storage devices that are reliable, benefiting both the economy and environment.Read moreRead less
Folding polymers for high-performance energy storage. This project aims to address the current bottleneck of energy storage capability in polymers by developing new compact structures through programmed polymer folding. This project expects to understand how structures determine electrochemistry properties by creating densely packed redox-active polymers to break the limits of charge transfer rates and storage ability. Expected outcomes include deep insights into fundamental electrochemical reac ....Folding polymers for high-performance energy storage. This project aims to address the current bottleneck of energy storage capability in polymers by developing new compact structures through programmed polymer folding. This project expects to understand how structures determine electrochemistry properties by creating densely packed redox-active polymers to break the limits of charge transfer rates and storage ability. Expected outcomes include deep insights into fundamental electrochemical reaction mechanisms, laying a strong foundation for the applications of polymers from flexible electronic devices to micro-grid energy storage. This project should provide significant benefit in new knowledge and support advanced manufacturing using our high value-added materials.Read moreRead less
Rational Electrolyte Design and Engineering for Next-Generation Batteries. The fast-growing energy storage market demands new battery technologies with high energy density. Lithium (Li) metal batteries are an ideal solution, although instability of the Li metal/electrolyte interface remains a challenge. The project aims to drive key advancements in electrolyte engineering for Li metal batteries with long life and high safety. Advanced characterisation and computation will reveal the structure-pr ....Rational Electrolyte Design and Engineering for Next-Generation Batteries. The fast-growing energy storage market demands new battery technologies with high energy density. Lithium (Li) metal batteries are an ideal solution, although instability of the Li metal/electrolyte interface remains a challenge. The project aims to drive key advancements in electrolyte engineering for Li metal batteries with long life and high safety. Advanced characterisation and computation will reveal the structure-property relationship of electrolyte to build electrolyte design principles. This will contribute to ground-breaking knowledge, commercialisation, and boost Australia’s capability to design and manufacture next-generation energy storage devices for billion-dollar markets in smart grids, portable devices and electric vehicles.Read moreRead less
Asymmetric Biomembranes for Blue Energy Harvesting. This project aims to develop a new class of biomembranes for efficient ion-selective transport, to address the challenge of low power density facing the realisation of blue energy harvesting. This will be achieved using innovative chemistries guided by theoretical modelling to endow membranes with unique features: heterogeneities in surface charge and pore structure. Expected outcomes include a new concept for membrane design, advancement of kn ....Asymmetric Biomembranes for Blue Energy Harvesting. This project aims to develop a new class of biomembranes for efficient ion-selective transport, to address the challenge of low power density facing the realisation of blue energy harvesting. This will be achieved using innovative chemistries guided by theoretical modelling to endow membranes with unique features: heterogeneities in surface charge and pore structure. Expected outcomes include a new concept for membrane design, advancement of knowledge in energy conversion, creation of a new prototype power device without need of any external forces, and significant advances in self-powered wearable electronics potentially revolutionizing industries such as healthcare and entertainment. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100032
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$456,547.00
Summary
Chemical and structural design for high power energy storage materials. This project aims to develop new materials with both high power and high energy storage capabilities by exploring emerging relaxor antiferroelectric (RAFE) materials. Through investigating the internal chemical and structural factors, and their interactions at different length scales, this project will first solve the current ambiguities in RAFEs and then identify critical factors for properties to better design and develop ....Chemical and structural design for high power energy storage materials. This project aims to develop new materials with both high power and high energy storage capabilities by exploring emerging relaxor antiferroelectric (RAFE) materials. Through investigating the internal chemical and structural factors, and their interactions at different length scales, this project will first solve the current ambiguities in RAFEs and then identify critical factors for properties to better design and develop new high-performance energy storage materials. The outcomes of this project will advance the knowledge of ferroic materials, provide new candidates for advanced electrical systems such as renewable energy, electric vehicles and pulsed power devices, and potentially revolutionise high power energy storage technologies.Read moreRead less
All-Solid-state Sodium-ion Batteries for Renewable Energy Industry. Sodium-ion batteries have been widely recognised as scalable and sustainable system for renewable energy storage and conversion owing to abundant resource of sodium and low cost. However, the electrochemical performance and safety of this technology must be improved for practical deployment. This project aims to rationally design and synthesise solid-state polymer electrolytes with high sodium ion conductivity and high sodium io ....All-Solid-state Sodium-ion Batteries for Renewable Energy Industry. Sodium-ion batteries have been widely recognised as scalable and sustainable system for renewable energy storage and conversion owing to abundant resource of sodium and low cost. However, the electrochemical performance and safety of this technology must be improved for practical deployment. This project aims to rationally design and synthesise solid-state polymer electrolytes with high sodium ion conductivity and high sodium ion transfer number. The expected outcome of the project is to manufacture all-solid-state sodium-ion batteries for renewable energy industry in Australia. The project will support the transition of energy supply to renewables, and therefore attain a secure and reliable zero-carbon emission energy future. Read moreRead less