CIC EnergiGUNE, Spain &
Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Bilbao, Spain
By Prof. Teófilo ROJO
1. Department of Inorganic Chemistry. Faculty of Science and Technology. University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, Spain.
2. CIC energiGUNE, Parque Tecnológico de Álava, Miñano, Spain.
With the ever-increasing demands of modern societies, energy generation, storage, and distribution are becoming increasingly important research fields. Currently, sodium-ion battery (SIB) technology represents a promising energy storage solution with wide-ranging applications – though it is especially well suited to stationary applications [1-5].
SIB cathodes are very well-explored, with many available options (including Prussian blue and organic materials). However, polyanionic and layered materials are particularly promising due to their good combinations of electrochemical performance, low cost, stability and available constituents. Several SIB anode materials are also available, such as alloying materials, metal oxides, and (after exploiting specific electrolyte co-solvation effects) graphite. However, hard carbon-based anodes remain popular due to their low cost and high energy density. In general, the SIB research community uses organic electrolytes which are analogous to already existing Lithium ion batteries (LIB). However, recently there has been growing interest in developing new electrolytes which are specifically tailored for use in SIBs, such as optimized liquid and solid electrolytes. Although interest in SIB technology has only relatively new, when compared to LIBs, it has been already developed at the prototyping level. We will discuss relevant advances at the prototype level, as well as highlighting some of the significant materials developments achieved in recent years. By examining this topic in detail, we will emphasize potential pathways to the improved rational design and development of future SIB electrode and electrolyte materials.
References:
[1] V. Palomares, T.Rojo et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 2012, 5, 5884.
[2] M. Á., Muñoz-Márquez, T.Rojo et al., Adv. Energy Mater., 2017, 1700463.
[3] N. Ortiz-Vitoriano, T.Rojo et al., Energy Environ. Sci., 2017, 10, 1051.
[4] D. Saurel, T.Rojo et al., Adv. Energy Mater., (2018,1703268).
[5] T.Rojo et al., Adv. Energy Mater., (2018,8,1800880).
Biography
Teófilo Rojo has been Full Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) since 1992. He is co-author of more than 500 articles with more than 14000 citations and an h-index of 54. He has co-authored fourteen book chapters and is co-editor of two books.
Since 2010 he is the Scientific Director of the CIC energiGUNE and his research is focused on the study of materials for both lithium and beyond -lithium based batteries to improve the power and energy density both by exploring new compounds and through the study of the mechanisms that govern their performance.
He holds different positions in various scientific bodies in Spain being the chairman of the Solid State Chemistry Group within the Spanish Royal Society during ten years and advisor for the Minister of Sciences and Education of the Spanish Government. He was awarded with the National Prize in Inorganic Chemistry by the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) in 2013 and appointed as an Academic Member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Exacts, Physical and Natural Sciences in 2015. For two years he was an executive board member of the EuCheMs Solid State and Materials Chemistry division and in 2016 he was appointed as a Member of the Working Party on Chemistry and Energy of EuCheMS.