Inventing the sustainable batteries of the future (2CFU)
Prof. E. Quartarone
When: May
The aim of the course is to describe the most current research and development trends that aim to invent the batteries of the future, necessary to achieve the objectives set out in the European Green Deal, namely a climate-neutral society by 2050. In the view of a definitive energy transition, both in stationary applications and smart mobility, lithium-metal and lithium-ion batteries represent a turning point in the generation and use of green energy. However, very stringent requirements must be met simultaneously, namely sustainability, safety, high functional performance, compatibility with a circular and clean economy. In order to give an adequate overview of how these targets can be achieved, the course will be divided into a first part, which will provide a brief overview of the state of the art of lithium-based batteries, and a second part, which will instead examine the new neutral chemistry approach covering the entire value chain. In particular: 1) the accelerated discovery of new materials optimized by artificial intelligence (AI) strategy; 2) the integration of chemical smart functionalities in order to guarantee high operational stability and safety (e.g. the use of functional groups with sensing probes for chemical and electrochemical reactions or self-healing units capable of regenerating functionality lost during battery operation); 3) new manufacturing technologies that are more sustainable, including digital tools and with a view to industry 4.0 (e.g. 3D printing); 4) new concepts of recycling, recovery and regeneration of the starting materials in both electrode and electrolytes.
Final exam: oral