Advanced batteries as support for the green transition and electromobility

High energy consumption driven by society's development is imposing a high demand on the exploitation of green sustainable energy. The electrochemical energy storage systems, especially rechargeable batteries, have been demonstrated as a facile approach to store, transport, and deliver energy to various portable devices. Currently, they are penetrating to the field of electromobility and are considered to be a key technology for a Green Deal transition. In the last decades, extensive scientific and industrial efforts have been devoted to this field enabling Li-ion batteries' great commercial success. However, current Li-ion battery technology is still hindered for the large-scale applications due to the limited resources of Li, Co, Cu and Ni, as well as due to safety, reliability, durability, CO2 footprint and price. In the research programme "Advanced battery systems as a support for the green transition and electromobility" we will address the most important questions related to the batteries development, which will enable green transition and zero carbon emissions mobility in the near future. The programme is pairing four battery technology research pillars, which are supported by two cross-cutting activities. Together, they contribute to the development of novel concepts for sustainable battery materials. Those include the upgrade of existing battery chemistries, design of components' interfaces, and introduction of smart functionalities in the battery cell while considering manufacturability, second life and recyclability. The core research funding will serve as a seed for sustainable development of scientific excellence in the field of batteries, enriched by international collaborations, educational activities and industrial consorting. Activities towards sustainable battery materials will include the exploration of post-Li batteries based on sustainable metals (Na, Mg, Ca, Zn, Al) and sustainable cathodes (sulphur, redox-active organic materials), which will be tested in different types of electrolytes. The second activities area will be focused on high energy density and high power systems with an emphasis on designed electrode architecture within the concepts of all-solid-state Li metal batteries or novel carbons for supercapacitors. The third activities area will cover undertakings striving to improve quality, reliability, lifetime and safety (QRLS) in different types of battery chemistries. Here, the incorporation of sensors into the battery cells, the development of self-healing functionalities and conscientious interfaces design will take place. The fourth cluster of activities will concentrate on manufacturability, recyclability and possible second life. All four research directions will be supported by two cross-cutting activities, the advanced characterisation and modelling, involving various characterisation tools and modelling approaches at different scales. The proposed activities are in agreement with Battery 2030+ initiative.

Despite the large success of batteries in portable electronics, their development is still ongoing. There are several questions that need to be answered in the future in order to enable safe, high performance, cheap and sustainable batteries for electromobility and the Green Deal transition. Open research questions are related to the possibility of increasing energy density and power, thus enabling longer autonomy and faster charging, and improving their safety, reliability, and lifetime, which will expand their acceptance in different applications. Finally, all development efforts should encounter manufacturability and final requirement of the battery life cycle, namely, their recyclability. The proposed research programme will focus on several basic questions that are pending to be properly answered by carefully designed experimental work supported by advanced characterisation methodology using in-house and large-scale instrumentation as well as theoretical modelling. Particularly, modelling approach will be focused on gaining a comprehensive understanding of the processes at the interfaces, which are typically difficult to be characterised using advanced in operando mode characterisation methods. The experimental work will be based on a multidisciplinary approach. The proposed ground-breaking activities within four research directions require will combine research approaches from different fields of science. Batteries are considered as electrochemical devices, and the development of components requires broad know-how from electrochemistry and materials science, while work in the program will necessitate also expertize from physics, physical, organic and analytical chemistries and biotechnology. Introduction of novel concepts, novel materials, improving existing materials, enabling a higher ratio of active materials in the cells, and other activities are expected to deliver batteries with improved cycling properties. Here, designed ionic and electronic wiring, suitable electrolyte properties, cross-communication between electrodes, and, finally, the use of sustainable materials with a low CO2 footprint should be considered. Further on, upon materials' assembly into the battery cells, the degradation appearance with working time is inevitable. Within the proposed programme, this problem will be addressed by either a preventive approach (designed interfaces) or by a curative approach (introduction of self-healing functionalities) and monitored by sensors that are built into the cell. Such a tactic can improve the quality, reliability, lifetime, and safety of the cells, however, it has to be considered from the beginning to enable efficient manufacturing and proper recycling. The proposed programme work is in the agreement with Battery 2030+ roadmap. It will contribute to the development of the European battery industry and to further development of the battery research activities at a Slovenian and European scale. Proposed research activities are a continuation of work within the Laboratory for Modern Battery Systems that is part of the Department of Materials Chemistry at the National institute of chemistry. We are currently one of the leading groups in Europe and worldwide in the field of multivalent batteries development, have contributed significant know-how for a better understanding of mechanisms within sulphur batteries, are leading in the field of redox-active organic materials, and have provided an explanation of oxygen loss in Li-rich cathodes and different interface related phenomena. We will continue to strive for scientific excellence by developing new basic research fields in battery science, such as build-in smart functionalities and sustainable batteries based on multivalent anodes and novel materials (inorganic, polymers, bio-sourced and biomimetic materials, etc.) developed within the program. We will carry on with the introduction and utilization of novel in operando mode characterisation techniques. These will help us to comprehend different processes occurring at the components' interfaces or in the bulk of active material for the different battery types. The introduction of smart functionalities will require an understanding of charge transfer reactions at the interfaces and their correlation with materials' stability. Such an approach will significantly contribute to the development of battery science in Slovenia, Europe, and worldwide. A large number of the research activities will be performed within the European initiatives and/or with industrial partners, thus directly contributing to the roadmap of battery research proposed by the Battery 2030+ Initiative. We are currently involved in 6 European projects and have direct collaboration activities with several European and non-European laboratories and industries. Tight international connections with academia and industry indicate that our research excellence is well recognized, and the proposed programme will enable its persistent continuation in the future.

The proposed research programme addresses all important questions related to the need for the future development of advanced battery materials and systems and strives to push scientific excellence and innovation beyond the national level. The research deals with disruptive approaches in battery science and combines different levels of expertise needed for the successful accomplishment of its main goal and specific objectives. The potential impact on economic development is related to the disruptive technologies which will be developed within the programme and related projects that will be part of the programme activities. With all activities, the accumulated knowledge will be transferred to or communicated with interested industrial companies. We have ongoing collaborations with TAB, Iskra, Pipistrel, and some other SME's in Slovenia. Considering the rising importance of the batteries field, we expect an increase in industrial collaborations and alliances during the proposed programme timeline. There are several companies that would like to enter the battery components production or introduce novel solutions into portable energy storage use. As a result of programme's activities and through its strong involvement in European research infrastructure and development activities, the battery group will be able to provide clear solutions and answers to a number of battery technology related demands from the industry. The potential impact on social and cultural development is a highly important aspect of the proposed research programme as its activities will address educational and working skills needs, promote a better acceptance of batteries and batteries-driven devices in society, and offer vocational training and public dissemination activities. Core researchers of the proposed programme are from the National Institute of Chemistry (NIC), which is a research institution. The synergy with the programme's partner, the Faculty for Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana (FKKT-UL) will allow a broader and more direct impact on the education of students at Bachelor, Masters and PhD levels. FKKT-UL, together with NIC as an associated partner, along with five other universities is jointly running an Erasmus Mundus Plus Master Program (MESC+) in the field of materials science for batteries. Researchers from the NIC group actively participate in teaching and scientific training activities within the MESC+ as well as within the national Master Program run at FKKT-UL. Master and Doctoral students working at both institutions are forming the basis for the high-tech industry in Slovenia with a strong background in batteries related science and technology. Knowledge and expertise from the battery research field are transferable to other materials science fields and industries. As such, it will, directly and indirectly, influence economic, social, and cultural development in Slovenia.