Hybrid ion batteries based on Na-ion and K-ion

Project ID: 2228cd1366 (You will need this ID for your application)

Research Theme: Energy and Decarbonisation

UCL Lead department: Chemistry

Department Website

Lead Supervisor: Yang Xu

Project Summary:

Beyond Li batteries such as Na-ion and K-ion batteries (NIBs & KIBs) are cost-competitive and sustainable alternatives of Li-ion batteries, holding promise in several sectors including e-mobility and large-scale energy storage. Conventional NIBs and KIBs operate by using a single ion species, i.e., Na-ion in NIBs and K-ion in KIBs. Unlike these, this project will explore the idea of sustainable hybrid batteries that operate based on two ion species, Na-ion and K-ion, to increase battery voltage and enhance battery performance. In this project, you will investigate the Na- and K-intercalation in electrode materials, understand the facilitation/limitation of ion intercalation, and study the influence of electrode/electrolyte interface on ion intercalation. Based on these, you will construct hybrid batteries with Na- and K-intercalation occurring at the two electrodes separately. New synthetic protocols will be developed, and a suite of characterisation tools (ex-situ and in-situ) will be utilised to gain the understanding of (electro)chemical processes in the electrodes and at the electrode/electrolyte interface. You will be working in an active research group that is among a few groups in the UK, which work on hybrid battery systems. You will be working with researchers who work on a range of beyond Li battery systems (Na/K/Ca). In addition, you will be collaborating with researchers across departments at UCL and in other universities regarding characterisation techniques and materials/electrodes processing. This project will provide invaluable knowledge of the dynamic interactions between ions and the dynamic interfaces between electrodes and electrolytes, as well as the demonstration of hybrid batteries as an emerging and promising next-generation energy technology. This project is best suited to students with an interest in materials science and electrochemistry for energy storage applications and in training on synthetic procedures, hands-on techniques, and exploratory research contributing to the net zero target.