The aim of the project is to reveal the nanoscale details of the ionic transport
at electrode-electrolyte interfaces in operando focusing on the specific role of
composite materials in improving sodium ion batteries (SIBs) and zinc ion
batteries (ZIBs) performances. The DC will design and test microbattery
closed-cell setups based on MEMS chip technology and perform operando
characterizations of solid-solid (S-S) and solid-liquid (S-L) interfaces using
probe corrected scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) and
related spectroscopy techniques. Processes at Na-ion carbonaceous anode
and their composites for SIBs will be compared. Zn composite cathodes for
ZIBs will be tested. Tight cooperation with DCs#1 and #4, assisting with
nanoscale characterisation of carbonaceous, composite covalent anode
materials in SIBs, and multifunctional ion-conductive polymers in
rechargeable aqueous ZIBs, is expected. Operando experiments will be
compared with ex-situ TEM analysis of materials from coin cells at different
states of charge to ensure comparability of the results. Chemical composition,
electronic structure at S-L, S-S and S-S-L interfaces will be probed by EELS.