Energy storage devices like rechargeable batteries have currently a minor contribution to the challenges of the energy conversion to sustainability. Nevertheless, the growth of renewable energies will define the energy storage devices as an indispensable element of the power grid. Therefore, it is necessary to overcome the main problems of current high performance batteries like safety, an upper capacity limit and confined raw material resources. This project proposes the concept of a non-aqueous rechargeable battery characterised by safe cell reactions, a high storage capacity and earth-abundant materials like aluminum and conductive polymers.
The combination of the so far independently considered cell reactions, reversible deposition of aluminum and intercalation of three-dimensional conductive polymers in ionic liquids, provides a "rocking chair" battery in a novel approach.
Early proof of concept studies of the battery system with promising results have been performed with the current collaborative project partner, Hokkaido University (Japan) and the Technische Universität Ilmenau (Germany). The further work and the continuation of the partnership aim a detailed understanding of the complex mechanisms of the half-cell reactions and the improvement of the battery performance in order to compete as sustainable alternative for high performance batteries.
Theresa Schötz is a Chemical Engineer, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg University of Technology, Germany, MSc. in Electrochemistry and Electroplating Technische Universität Ilmenau. She was private tutor for physics and mathematics and secured internships at AREVA GmbH, Erlangen on several projects. Research assistant at Technische Universität, Ilmenau on electrodeposition and characterisation of PEDOT/Pd nanoparticles, internships in the University of Salento, Lecce, Italy on cathode materials of conductive polymers doped with metal nanoparticles and at Hokkaido University in Japan on a rechargeable aluminum/polymer battery in ionic liquids.
Carlos Ponce de León is an associate professor at the University of Southampton with over 100 research papers on redox flow batteries for energy storage, metal-air batteries, hydrogen-oxygen and borohydride fuel cells, metal ion removal/oxidation of organic compounds in wastewater, and nanodeposition. External examiner for several universities, supervises PhD, MSc and BSc students and is responsible for research and consultancy projects for companies, EPSRC, FP7, Dstl. He has been invited to present lectures and has organised several international symposia and conferences in electrochemistry.
Frank Walsh is Professor in Electrochemical Engineering at the University of Southampton and director of the Electrochemical Engineering Laboratory. He has been Head of Chemical Engineering (University of Bath), Head of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences (University of Portsmouth). Non-Executive Director (Poeton Industries Ltd), a member of several editorial and industrial Advisory Boards and is a visiting Professor at international universities. His research areas are nanostructured materials for energy conversion, electroactive nanomaterials, coating technology and electrochemical process engineering. He has written 3 books, presented 70 short courses, lectured at >200 conferences and has >400 research papers.
Sapporo/ Japan
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