Technologies for electrochemical energy storage and transformation have many applications, from micro-electronics (ex: secured smart cards) to independent energy sources, portable electronics (ex: telephones, computers, power tools) and electric traction (ex: electric or hybrids vehicles).

The group "Electrochemical Storage and Transformation of Energy (ST2E)" gathers IMN expertise in the fields of energy storage (lithium rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors), energy transformation (SOFC, PCFC and high temperature electrolysis), and modelling coupled to spectroscopies (XAS, EELS, NMR).

In the field of energy storage and transformation, the main purpose is to improve energy, reliability and lifetime of systems under development or commercialized, and to widen the range of operating temperatures, by modifying existing materials, by designing new materials and by controlling all interfaces.

Our group develops basic and applied research via academic and/or industrial collaborations at the international level (see "collaborations", below). Our objective is to develop more efficient materials, and to push further the understanding of the relationships between synthesis conditions, material characteristics (composition, structure, surface physical-chemistry) and their electrochemical properties. The research directions explored maintain a balance between innovating aspects (design and synthesis of new materials), fundamental aspects (synthesis mechanisms, crystal chemistry, physical properties, control of the electrode architecture, mechanism of electrochemical reactions, modelling, electronic structures, ...) and applied aspects (development of laboratory prototypes, evaluation and optimization of their performances, ...). The coupling between modelling and spectroscopies makes it possible to characterize thoroughly the materials studied, and thus to reach a better knowledge of the reaction mechanisms.