Hybrid nanostructured systems for sustainable energy storage

Project Information

HYNANOSTORE

Grant agreement ID: 101045746

DOI

10.3030/101045746

EC signature date 8 June 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• European Research Council (ERC)

Total cost

€ 1 973 133,75

EU contribution

€ 1 973 133,75

Coordinated by

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HYNANOSTORE (Hybrid nanostructured systems for sustainable energy storage)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Humanity will increasingly need safe, clean, and always-available energy. Therefore, having effective energy storage systems will become more important in the future because efficient and sustainable rechargeable batteries are essential for powering portable electronic devices, hybrid electric vehicles, and for storing electricity from renewable sources.
Unfortunately, the batteries currently in use are based on rare, expensive and non-renewable materials such as lithium, cobalt and nickel, to name a few.
The aim of the project ‘HYNANOSTORE’ is to replace these critical raw materials with redox-functional organic molecules, similar to those used in biological systems for chemical energy storage in animals and plants.
Thus, the HYNANOSTORE project rethinks the traditional concept of battery electrodes based on lithium insertion and proposes a novel architecture in which redox-active molecules, anchored to the surface of a mesoporous nanostructured conductive scaffold, can store electrons through redox reactions.
The outcome of HYNANOSTORE will be the introduction of a new concept for lithium-ion batteries, moving towards cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and versatile energy storage devices.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the first two years of the HYNANOSTORE project, we successfully carried out the planned activities to obtain nanostructured conductive scaffolds with tailored characteristics, onto which we immobilized redox-active molecules, taking advantage of their extended surface area. These scaffolds also facilitate charge transport and enhance the interaction of the molecules with the electrolyte.
To achieve this, we began by investigating the electrochemical storage properties of selected organic molecules. Among them, quinone derivatives demonstrated good storage potential due to the presence of carbonyl groups on a π-conjugated system. In parallel, we synthesized various types of semiconductor oxide nanocrystals and produced nanostructured mesoporous films from them.
Next, we functionalized the nanostructured scaffolds with selected organic molecules and studied the electrochemical behavior of our hybrid systems using cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge measurements, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to evaluate energy storage performance and understand the working mechanism of our new system.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The results achieved in the first two years of the project represent a breakthrough compared to the state of the art. Until now, some batteries based on organic molecules had been developed, but they mixed these molecules with carbon and polymer additives in a compact structure, which doesn't hold up well over repeated charging and discharging cycles.
In HYNANOSTORE, we’ve created something completely new: a hybrid energy storage system that has never been demonstrated before. For the first time, we’ve shown that a mesoporous semiconductor film functionalized with redox-active molecules can reversibly store energy and can work as a battery cathode.
Our experiments have shown promising results, even though performance can vary depending on the nanomaterials used. Specifically, we have demonstrated that:
- Electrons move smoothly through the semiconductor structure and reach the molecule, reducing it (like a battery's discharge phase).
- The reaction is reversible: when the molecule reaches its oxidation point, it releases electrons back to the semiconductor (equivalent to the charging phase of a battery).
- A significant number of molecules can store energy, allowing the system to handle current in the range of hundreds of microamperes to milliamperes.
We currently have enough data to patent the ‘Hynanostore’ hybrid electrode that could lead to new types of batteries that are more efficient, durable, and faster to charge than existing organic batteries.

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