Design and Characterisation of Non-Aqueous Electrolytes for Aluminium Batteries

The growing demand for safe, sustainable and energy-dense energy storage devices has spurred intensive investigations into post-lithium battery technologies. Rechargeable aluminium batteries are promising candidates for future electrochemical energy storage systems due to the high theoretical volumetric capacity of aluminium and its natural abundance in the Earth’s crust. While several different classes of liquid electrolytes have been explored in aluminium battery research, including aqueous solutions, organic solvents, inorganic molten salts and deep eutectic solvents, imidazolium-based chloroaluminate ionic liquids are the most commonly used due to their ability to reversibly electrodeposit aluminium with very high coulombic efficiencies. Unfortunately, these ionic liquids are extremely expensive, hygroscopic and corrosive to conventional battery components, while issues characteristic of liquid electrolytes, such as leakage and gaseous emissions, further complicate their application in practical systems. This PhD project will focus on the synthesis and characterisation of ionic liquid derived solid and semi-solid electrolytes for aluminium batteries, aiming to combine the core requirements of safety, sustainability and performance for future energy storage systems.

Chee Tong John Low
Chee Tong John Low
supervisor

Chee Tong John Low heads up a team specialising in cell manufacture scale-up at Warwick University, both Lithium-ion battery and supercapacitor, delivering applied materials to electrochemical engineering technology with industry and academia. His research (£8.5m since 2014) has been funded through EPSRC and Innovate UK, published 53 articles, and his profession esteems include: Vice Chairman Science Committee of Institute of Materials Finishing (IMF), Fellow of IMF and EPSRC member of Manufacturing-the-Future.

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