Aqueous Zn-ion batteries for energy storage: synthesis of new cathode materials

• Grant number: 17/18416-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: March 05, 2018
• End date: December 18, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: José Mario de Aquino
• Grantee: José Mario de Aquino
• Host Investigator: Linda F. Nazar
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Waterloo, Canada

Abstract

Nowadays, energy storage devices has become part of the day life of people and is an important required item for renewable sources of energy production. In this respect, the Li ion technology has been successfully used for most than twenty years as a source of energy for stationary and mobile applications. However, due to uncertainties regarding its safe, power density, and mainly if natural resources will be able to supply the global demand for cheap energy storage devices, for example to be used in the electrical vehicle, new technology materials based on intercalation cathode materials of multivalent cations (such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, Zn2+) in aqueous solvent has been emerging for future applications. Among these multivalent cations, the aqueous Zn-ion battery is a potential candidate due to its natural availability, stability of solid Zn to be used as anode, and high volumetric energy density. Concerning the cathode of aqueous Zn-ion battery, one of the main challenges that must be faced is the synthesis of new open framework materials for intercalation of solvated Zn2+ ions in its structure. Thus, vanadium and molybdenum based nanostructured materials will be the primary choice to be investigated in this research project as they offer a range of crystalline structures and oxidation states.