Title: Back to the future: beyond Li-ion batteries
When: 20 Nombember 2024, 12:30
Where: Sala de Conferencias, Módulo 00, Facultad de Ciencias, UAM
Speaker: Rosa Palacín (ICMAB-CSIC)
Abstract: Starting from a historical overview in the development of battery technologies, the talk will revisit current state-of-the-art in post-Li battery chemistries.Today Li-ion batteries are the reference rechargeable battery chemistry for a range of applications, from portable electronics to transport electrification, and also considered to store energy generated from renewable sources. Yet, diversification in the technologies is crucial both to reduce dependence of specific raw materials (especially if these are scarce) and, most important, to adapt to specific use requirements including not only performance figures of merit (energy density, power, lifetime etc.), but also economic and environmental considerations. Considering these aspects, the development of technologies based on abundant metals is appealing, especially for large scale applications. Both M-ion chemistries (analogous to Li-ion) or metal anode concepts can be envisioned. Progress in the first may be accelerated by the existing know how for M=Li, especially if M=Na or K. In contrast, the transition to multivalent metal ion charge carriers is far from evident, as coulombic interactions hamper migration both within the electrodes and in the electrolyte. Metal anode concepts are less developed even for the case of M=Li, with efficiency of the plating/stripping process and avoidance of dendritic growth being the major hurdles to overcome. Despite these drawbacks, such chemistries could intrinsically result in much higher energy density, and so considerable research efforts have been devoted to them addressing electrode and/or electrolyte materials.