Periodic Reporting for period 1 - POLYSTORAGE (EUROPEAN TRAINING NETWORK IN INNOVATIVE POLYMERS FOR NEXT-GENERATION ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY STORAGE)
Reporting period: 2019-11-01 to 2021-10-31
The development of advanced storage technologies to enable the integration of sustainable energy sources in the electric grid represents a major challenge for our society and is of great importance to reach the updated Europe 2020 targets as well as the goals of the Paris agreement (COP21) and the Energy Union policies including the SET-Plan. In the last years, lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) attracted great attention and, thanks to their high energy density, they became the most known and widespread battery systems in our society. However, since LiBs contain toxic metals, e.g. cobalt and nickel, as well as flammable solvents, the development of more environmentally friendly and safer battery technologies represents a priority. Additionally, this technology is limited when flexibility, low cost, or even higher energy density are important. POLYSTORAGE will tackle these limitations by developing highly innovative polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials for advanced post-LiBs.
The overall scientific and technical objectives of the POLYSTORAGE project are:
• Synthesis of innovative polymers including block copolymers and other novel architectures combining building blocks with dual or triple functionalities
• Investigation of the self-assembly and supramolecular organisation of the synthesised polymers including cutting-edge techniques
• Development of significantly improved polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials for advanced battery technologies
• Integration of the newly developed polymer electrolytes and active materials into advanced polymer-based batteries
• Utilization of polymer electrolytes that incorporate ionic liquids in Na-air batteries
• Realisation of a semi-industrial redox flow battery system optimised for the new polymer-based chemistries
• Upscaling of selected polymer electrolyte systems and integration in lab-scale prototype pouch cells, and basic proof-of-concept engineering of a pilot plant for polymer electrolytes
Hence, the POLYSTORAGE project contributes to the incorporation and smart management of renewable energy sources to the European electric grid and the demands arising from massive electrification of transport that rely on the development of new materials and energy storage technologies that could fulfil the current environmental, performance, cost and social requirements for stationary and transportation storage needs.
The overall scientific and technical objectives of the POLYSTORAGE project are:
• Synthesis of innovative polymers including block copolymers and other novel architectures combining building blocks with dual or triple functionalities
• Investigation of the self-assembly and supramolecular organisation of the synthesised polymers including cutting-edge techniques
• Development of significantly improved polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials for advanced battery technologies
• Integration of the newly developed polymer electrolytes and active materials into advanced polymer-based batteries
• Utilization of polymer electrolytes that incorporate ionic liquids in Na-air batteries
• Realisation of a semi-industrial redox flow battery system optimised for the new polymer-based chemistries
• Upscaling of selected polymer electrolyte systems and integration in lab-scale prototype pouch cells, and basic proof-of-concept engineering of a pilot plant for polymer electrolytes
Hence, the POLYSTORAGE project contributes to the incorporation and smart management of renewable energy sources to the European electric grid and the demands arising from massive electrification of transport that rely on the development of new materials and energy storage technologies that could fulfil the current environmental, performance, cost and social requirements for stationary and transportation storage needs.
The work on “polymer synthesis” targets the preparation of multifunctional block copolymers. Self-assembly of these systems can be used to control and design the dimension as well as the shape of resulting nanostructures, which makes this method highly attractive for the synthesis of advanced materials. The work aligns with the objectives and is divided into two major branches: Polymer electrolytes and active materials. The potential of the synthetic routes were evaluated and first materials were synthesized.
The work on “material characterisation” enabled first insights into the structure-property relationships of these materials, selected polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials by means of highly advanced characterisation techniques (x-ray and electron microscopies with nanometer resolution). The performed work aligns with the objectives and is categorized into structure/morphology relationship investigated, non-equilibrium structures pursued, and the exploration of bulk phase diagram. The results enabled the identification and selection of promising polymer materials for the next stage for the project, as well as the rational iteration for the improved polymer synthesis.
The work on “energy storage technology” is centred on the most promising materials, including the scaled-up synthesis and integration in advanced post-LiBs and advanced all-solid LiB prototypes, such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, hybrid organic batteries, pRFB, and Na-air batteries. The performed work identified promising candidates for the second period of the project.
The work on “material characterisation” enabled first insights into the structure-property relationships of these materials, selected polymer electrolytes and polymer active materials by means of highly advanced characterisation techniques (x-ray and electron microscopies with nanometer resolution). The performed work aligns with the objectives and is categorized into structure/morphology relationship investigated, non-equilibrium structures pursued, and the exploration of bulk phase diagram. The results enabled the identification and selection of promising polymer materials for the next stage for the project, as well as the rational iteration for the improved polymer synthesis.
The work on “energy storage technology” is centred on the most promising materials, including the scaled-up synthesis and integration in advanced post-LiBs and advanced all-solid LiB prototypes, such as Na, K, Mg, Ca, hybrid organic batteries, pRFB, and Na-air batteries. The performed work identified promising candidates for the second period of the project.
Novel functional polymers beyond the state of the art are synthesized. The polymer electrolytes combine a high ionic conductivity at room temperature, a high mechanical stability, a high thermal stability and superior safety to act simultaneously as electrolyte and separator. A significant progress is expected from the rapid solvent-free preparation of tailored ion-conducting and mechanically stable block copolymers with increased cation transport number and the high ionic conductivity. Novel redox-active polymers are explored to (a) decrease the viscosity of the electrolyte solution for polymer-based redox flow batteries and thus increase the energy density, (b) to elucidate the potential of naturally inspired redox-active polymers, (c) to improve the energy density and power density of multifunctional copolymers in hybrid organic batteries, and (d) to enhance the electric conductivity for composite electrodes by 3D polymer nanostructures.
The progress towards measuring and understanding the materials’ properties utilizes state-of-the-art scattering methods and cutting-edge electron microscopy methods. The detailed knowledge of polymer model system will enable the exploration of the self-assembly processes for a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the nano-morphology and the macroscopic conductive properties. Fast cutting-edge atomic force microscopy with nanometer resolution is expected to enable the mapping and visualization of conductive properties, topography and mechanical properties.
The polymers will be utilized for novel prototypes of: (a) Hybrid organic batteries with high energy density at the electrode level, (b) all-solid-state batteries with an enhanced interface between the electrodes/and the inorganic solid electrolytes with high room-temperature conductivity and high capacity retention, (c) Na-air batteries using novel polymer electrolytes incorporating ionic liquids with high discharge capacity, low overpotential and a high capacity retention, (d) lab-scale pouch cells with high capacities and energy densities, and (e) post-Li metal–organic systems using hybrid organic polymers in combination with different electrolytes. POLYSTORAGE aims to use semi- or fully automatic pilot lines to scale-up selected polymer electrolytes, as well as to prepare a semi-industrial redox-flow battery system including a feasibility studies with high targeted capacity and low production cost (per electrolyte).
The socio-economic and the wider societal implications of the POLYSTORAGE project is integral to strengthen the human potential in research and technology to tackle the EU’s energy priorities. The area of polymers for electrochemical energy storage is believed to have a very high innovation capacity for renewable electricity, electric vehicles, portable electronics, or medicine. POLYSTORAGE assembles a unique expertise to improve the competitiveness of Europe in this future key technology, to capitalise the European’s leadership in the polymer and materials sectors and in electrochemistry and thus closing the gap on Asia and USA. POLYSTORAGE offers high-level training of PhD students in both public and private environments with new career perspectives as emerging experts in the field. POLYSTORAGE seeks to reinforce the role and number of women in science and research, as supported by the balanced gender of the early stage researchers.
The progress towards measuring and understanding the materials’ properties utilizes state-of-the-art scattering methods and cutting-edge electron microscopy methods. The detailed knowledge of polymer model system will enable the exploration of the self-assembly processes for a qualitative and quantitative understanding of the nano-morphology and the macroscopic conductive properties. Fast cutting-edge atomic force microscopy with nanometer resolution is expected to enable the mapping and visualization of conductive properties, topography and mechanical properties.
The polymers will be utilized for novel prototypes of: (a) Hybrid organic batteries with high energy density at the electrode level, (b) all-solid-state batteries with an enhanced interface between the electrodes/and the inorganic solid electrolytes with high room-temperature conductivity and high capacity retention, (c) Na-air batteries using novel polymer electrolytes incorporating ionic liquids with high discharge capacity, low overpotential and a high capacity retention, (d) lab-scale pouch cells with high capacities and energy densities, and (e) post-Li metal–organic systems using hybrid organic polymers in combination with different electrolytes. POLYSTORAGE aims to use semi- or fully automatic pilot lines to scale-up selected polymer electrolytes, as well as to prepare a semi-industrial redox-flow battery system including a feasibility studies with high targeted capacity and low production cost (per electrolyte).
The socio-economic and the wider societal implications of the POLYSTORAGE project is integral to strengthen the human potential in research and technology to tackle the EU’s energy priorities. The area of polymers for electrochemical energy storage is believed to have a very high innovation capacity for renewable electricity, electric vehicles, portable electronics, or medicine. POLYSTORAGE assembles a unique expertise to improve the competitiveness of Europe in this future key technology, to capitalise the European’s leadership in the polymer and materials sectors and in electrochemistry and thus closing the gap on Asia and USA. POLYSTORAGE offers high-level training of PhD students in both public and private environments with new career perspectives as emerging experts in the field. POLYSTORAGE seeks to reinforce the role and number of women in science and research, as supported by the balanced gender of the early stage researchers.