Mercredi 11 mars à 14h00 -Amphi IMN
George HARRINGTON
Department of Chemistry at Bath University, UK
Materials chemistry challenges in the green energy transition: From electrode kinetics to scalable recycling routes
Abstract
The global transition toward green and sustainable energy systems presents a series of challenges from a materials chemistry perspective. Central among these is the need to develop energy‑conversion and storage technologies that are efficient, high‑performing, and durable over operational lifetimes. Equally critical is the requirement that the manufacturing of these devices be scalable within the constraints of raw material supply and designed with viable end‑of‑life pathways.
The first part of this seminar focuses on developing approaches to improve the performance solid oxide cells (SOCs), key technologies capable of decoupling the production of synthetic fuels, chemicals, and commodities from fossil fuels underpinning various power-to-X scenarios. A central factor governing SOC performance is the reaction kinetics at the electrodes. Traditionally, advances in SOC electrode performance have been pursued through modifications of electrode composition, tailoring the bulk chemistry to enhance catalytic activity and transport properties. However, recent developments have shown that significant improvements can also be achieved by tuning surface exchange kinetics through alternative mechanisms. In this talk, we examine two emerging approaches: modifying surface chemistry via controlled changes in Smith acidity, and exploiting ultraviolet illumination to drive favourable alterations to surface exchange behaviour. Together, these strategies open relatively unexplored avenues for achieving high‑performance electrodes.
The second part of the seminar turns to broader materials‑supply challenges for next‑generation energy devices. As technologies such as SOCs move toward large‑scale deployment, the identification of potential raw material constraints must be identified early in the materials and device design. At the same time, materials in early commercialisation stages require carefully designed end‑of‑life strategies to prevent the emergence of difficult‑to‑manage waste streams. Niobium oxide–based materials have recently emerged as high‑power, durable battery anodes, and are now in the early stages of commercialisation. Yet their refractory nature, combined with the wide range of dopant chemistries employed, presents substantial challenges for future recycling efforts. In this work, we demonstrate a route to address this challenge through an aqueous‑based recycling process that relies only on inexpensive, widely available reagents, offering a feasible path toward sustainable end‑of‑life management for niobium‑based energy materials.
Contact : Clément Nicollet (ST2E)
