MATERIALS FOR CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES ARUMUGAM MANTHIRAM Electrochemical Energy Laboratory
ELECTROCHEMICAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES Chemical energy directly into electrical energy – clean energy technologies Challenges: high cost, safety, durability, & operability problems Alternative Energy Technologies Solar, wind, nuclear, hydro, geothermal, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors Fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors: Only viable option for automobiles (~ 30%) Batteries: Critical for storing and efficiently utilizing solar and wind energies Heat Electrolyte AnodeCathode e-e- 2e - Air 1/2O21/2O2 H + conductor H2OH2O 2e - + H2H2 2H + H2OH2O H2H2 e-e- Load Electrolyte e-e- e-e- CathodeAnode Li + Charge Discharge o o Electrode Electrolyte Fuel CellBatterySupercapacitor Conversion Device Portable, transportation, & stationary Storage Device Portable, transportation, & stationary Storage Device Portable & transportation
CURRENT RESEARCH ACTIVITIES Lithium Ion Batteries - Low cost, high energy, high power materials (portable, vehicle, stationary) Proton Exchange Membrane and Direct Methanol Fuel Cells - Low cost membranes and nanostructured alloy catalysts Solid Oxide Fuel Cells - Low thermal expansion, high efficiency electrode materials Supercapacitors - Low cost, high energy electrode materials Solar Cells - Efficient, low-cost, air-stable polymer solar cells Common Theme: Design, novel chemical synthesis, advanced characterization, prototype device fabrication, fundamental understanding of structure-property-performance relationships - Nanomaterials: metal alloys, oxides, carbon, and nanocomposites
HIGH ENERGY CATHODES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES LiMn 2 O 4 LiMn 1.8 Li 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 4 LiMn 1.8 Li 0.1 Ni 0.1 O 3.8 F 0.2 Li[Li 0.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 ]O 2 Li[Li 0.2 Mn 0.54 Co 0.13 Ni 0.13 ]O 2 / Nano Al 2 O 3 LiCoO 2
NANO-ENGINEERED ANODES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES NANO-ENGINEERED ANODES FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERIES Sb-MO x -C (M = Al, Ti, Mo) nanocomposite anodes Tin anode Carbon anode Fe 3 O 4 /C nanowire Fe 3 O 4 nanowire
LOW-COST CATALYSTS & MEMBRANES FOR FUEL CELLS Acidic polymer (SPEEK) Basic polymer (PSf-ABIm) Narrow channel, low methanol crossover Vehicle + hopping conduction mechanisms Low cost, compatible industrial polymers Low methanol permeable membranes Low-cost Pd alloy catalysts Low-TEC SOFC catalysts Acid-base blend Nafion
HYBRID ORGANIC-INORGANIC SOLAR CELLS Significantly reduces the solar cell cost Significantly reduces the solar cell cost Cu electrodes enhance the durability in air Cu electrodes enhance the durability in air Interfacial prototype TiO 2 -P3HT hybrid solar cell Variation of (a) V oc (b) J sc (c) FF, and (d) efficiency during continuous illumination in argon Illuminated J-V characteristics of P3HT- PCBM blend solar cells B. Reeja-Jayan and A. Manthiram, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 94, 907 (2010)