Main Project: ERC StG 2D NanoCaps
ERC-POC : 2D-Ink
The aim of this project was to determine the economic and technical feasibility of using readily scalable technologies for the development of inexpensive and high performance ink-jet printed, flexible films of two- dimensional nanosheets for supercapacitors manufacturing for the microelectronics and portable industry.
Under the framework of the 2DNanoCaps Starting Grant the PI developed methods to produce exfoliated nanosheets from a range of layered materials. These 2-dimensional materials have immediate and far-reaching potential in several high-impact technological applications amongst which are energy harvesting and storage. 2DNanoCaps (ERC ref: 278516) has already demonstrated that lab-scale ultra-thin graphene-based supercapacitors for energy storage result in unusually high power performance and extremely long device life-time (100% capacitance retention for 5000 charge-discharge cycles at the high power scan rate of 10,000 mV/s). This performance is an order of magnitude better than similar systems produced with more conventional methods which cause materials restacking and aggregation.
2D-Ink explored the unique possibility of manufacturing conductive, temperature resistant, robust, thin, easily assembled electrode and solid electrolytes by simple ink-jet printing.
This opportunity is particularly relevant from the industrial point of view especially in relation to the temperature at which these devices are usually exposed to in the application (-60ºC-+120°C) and the flammability issues of the electrolytes used for commercial energy storage devices at present. In order to develop and exploit any of the applications listed above, it will be imperative to develop precise ink-jet printing methods and techniques capable of obtaining small devices, where flake re-aggregation is avoided. We have determine the viability of scaling up ink-jet printing processes for exfoliated single atomic layers. Our combination of unique material properties and cost effective, robust and production-scalable process of ink-jet printing has enabled us to compete for significant global market opportunities in the energy-storage space.
