Research students
Zefu (Jeffrey) Huang
ARC Doctor of Philosophy Scholarship.
Research topic: Development of High-Performance and Low-Cost Sodium-Based Rechargeable Batteries for Grid Electricity Storage.
The extensive use of renewable and green energy resources becomes a favourable solution worldwide to reduce the usage of fossil fuel and other traditional energy sources for relieving global environmental pollution. However, green energy sources such as wind and solar are quite intermittent and weather/season dependent. For providing continuous and affordable energy to our communities, the development of stationary electrical energy storage (SEES) systems is critical and imperative. Sodium-sulphur (Na-S) battery can be a promising candidate for the development of the SEES system due to its high theoretical energy density, high Coulombic efficiency of charge/discharge, long cycle life and the low-cost of the electrode elements (Na and S). However, our current Na-S batteries need to operate at a high temperature (300–350 ℃) which leads to a high cost, low practical capacity, and many safety concerns. The development of the Na-S battery that can be run at room temperature (RT) is required for the further SEES system.
My project is focusing on developing new types of anode materials for RT Na-S batteries. Through rational structure design with the help of the recently developed advanced investigative tools and nanotechnologies, the anode materials that suitable for the RT Na-S batteries can be developed and applied to high-energy-density RT Na-S batteries with lower cost for future SEES system.
Xu Yang
ARC Doctor of Philosophy Scholarship.
Research topic: Low-cost and high-safety halogen-based energy storage system.
Halide–ion batteries (HIBs; e.g., fluoride (F)-ion, chloride (Cl)-ion, and bromide (Br)-ion batteries) with anion species as charge carriers are highly competitive toward low-cost energy storage due to their relatively high energy/power densities and the resource abundance of halogen elements. The F-ion batteries and Cl-ion batteries are comparable to the theoretical volumetric energies of Li–oxygen (5,000 Wh L–1) and Li–sulfur batteries (2,500 Wh L–1). Furthermore, HIBs are intrinsically dendrite–free on the metallic anodes, thus eliminating the safety issues which generally exist in metallic anode–based cation–shuttle batteries.
My research is devoted to developing high-performance halogen-based rechargeable batteries for low-cost and high-safety energy storage.
Tao Huang
Huang Tao is currently a PhD student at UTS and graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a master's degree. The current research direction is to apply various materials to devices.
Research topic: New flexible energy storage devices and their applications.
Research on one and two-dimensional flexible energy storage device field, including flexible lithium-ion batteries, flexible sodium-ion batteries, flexible supercapacitors, etc. In addition to materials research, there are also innovations in the fabrication process of flexible energy storage devices, such as the creation of flexible book-like electrodes from reference books, which has been successfully patented. Tao's work is also focusing on applying these flexible energy storage devices to digital devices, and has already successfully applied flexible lithium-ion batteries to Android smartwatches even Apple watch.
Majid Farahmandjou
Majid Farahmandjou obtained a PhD degree in 2009. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in the Centre for Clean Energy Technology (CCET) at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia. His research interests include lithium-ion batteries and nanofabrication.
Research topic: Lithium-rich layered-oxide (LRLO) cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
LRLO cathode materials have been widely used in energy storage systems due to their long cycle life, high specific capacities (>250 mAh g-1) and high average discharge voltage (>3.5 V). However, irreversible oxygen loss and phase transition from layered to spinel phase during cycling are the most important challenges of LRLO materials. The voltage decay caused by the phase transformation during the cycling process, the poor rate capability, the huge irreversible capacity loss after the first cycle, and the insufficient cycling performance under high voltages are some of the technical bottlenecks of Li-rich batteries for industrial applications. To overcome these issues some strategies such as lattice doping and surface coating are suitable approaches to suppress the voltage fading of LRLO cathode materials. My research focuses on engineering new cathodes and developing anionic and cationic doping in new types of LRLO cathode materials for High-energy lithium-ion batteries.
Hong Liang
Masters of Science (Research).
Research topic: High-performance novel cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries have been widely used in various products. However, due to the limited lithium resources and the increasing demand for clean energy, it is necessary to develop advanced lithium-ion batteries with high Coulombic efficiency and long cycle life. To solve these problems, research based on ternary lithium cathode materials is an important direction to increase the capacity and energy density of lithium-ion batteries in the future. Among the ternary lithium cathode materials, single crystal high nickel ternary lithium cathode materials have attracted much attention because of their structural stability and high capacity and energy density under high voltage conditions. My research topic is to develop a series of novel high-entropy single-crystal high-nickel content cathode materials via a coprecipitation method for high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.
Dongfang Li
Future Battery Industries CRC Doctor of Philosophy Scholarship.
Research topic: High-performance conductive MOF in CO2 Reduction.
Metal organic Framework (MOF) materials are the integration of organic linker and metal secondary units, which are based on the reticular chemistry. MOFs are also the bridge of heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis due to the organic-inorganic structure. All the properties are beneficial to realize multiple functions of catalysis, capturing, adsorption and storage. Most of MOFs have the common problem of conductivity. Through applying different combinations and diverse post synthesis methods to enhance the conductive property, MOFs will have more possibilities to adapt reacting conditions to achieve the selectivity transformation.
Le Pang
Le Pang is a PhD student from the Queensland University of Technology who is doing research in UTS as visiting scholar now.
Research topic: Metal organic framework materials for high-performance lithium metal batteries.
High-energy-density lithium metal batteries, such as Li–sulfur (Li–S) batteries and Li–oxygen (Li–O2) batteries, have demonstrated a huge increase in theoretical energy density compared to the current lithium-ion batteries. For example, the theoretical energy density of Li–S battery is 2600 Wh kg–1. The lithium metal batteries are strongly regarded as the next-generation batteries beyond lithium–ion batteries. However, uncontrollable lithium dendrite growth behaviour induces poor cycling efficiency and severe safety concerns, dragging lithium metal batteries out of practical applications.
My research topic focuses on developing high-performance lithium metal batteries through surface engineering on Li metal anodes.
Tong Yang
Tong Yang is a PhD student from the Queensland University of Technology who is doing research in UTS as visiting scholar now.
Research topic: Improving Lithium-Sulfur Battery Performance via surface engineering.
Lithium-sulfur batteries have become a focus of research due to their higher theoretical capacity compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries. However, one of the major challenges of lithium-sulfur batteries is the polysulfide shuttle phenomenon that occurs during discharge. Polysulfides can dissolve in the electrolyte, leading to various parasitic reactions during battery operation, which reduces the cycling stability of lithium-sulfur batteries.
My research focuses on investigating the potential of using surface coating strategies to restrict the “shuttle effect” of polysulfide for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries. High ionic conductive materials with good catalytic properties will be used to coat the surface of carbon/sulfur composite materials.
Yong Chen
UTS President's Scholarship.
Research topic: Material design and interface chemistry for advanced solid rechargeable batteries.
Advanced rechargeable batteries with solid electrolytes have emerged as one of the most promising technologies for next-generation energy storage systems, due to their high safety and high energy density. Replacing the commercial liquid electrolytes with solid electrolytes, it enables the use of the lithium metal anodes in such cells. However, it is known that, the practical application of solid batteries is limited by their poor ion conductivity and unstable interface. Numerous approaches have been rapidly developing to address these challenges, but high-level breakthroughs are still lacking.
My research is devoted to developing high-performance solid rechargeable batteries through battery material design and interface chemistry.
Zeliang Wu
Zeliang Wu, a visiting PhD student from Nanchang University, was awarded the China Scholarship Council (CSC) state scholarship fund in 2022.
Research topic: High-performance electrocatalysts for semi-hydrogenation research
Electrocatalytic semi-hydrogenation of alkynes offers a clean and environmentally friendly route for the production of olefins. However, the performance of this electrochemical process is currently lower compared to the thermocatalytic route, raising doubts about its practical feasibility. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a well-designed high-performance electrocatalyst to overcome this challenge and enhance the efficiency of the semi-hydrogenation process.
Jiahui Lu
Jiahui is a PhD student from the Yangzhou University of Technology who is doing research at UTS as a visiting scholar.
Research topic: Surface Engineering for Enhanced Performance of Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have gained significant attention as a promising energy storage technologies due to their safety, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. The anode, typically composed of zinc metal, plays a critical role in determining the overall performance and cycle life of AZIBs. Consequently, extensive research has been conducted to investigate the properties and behavior of zinc metal anodes in energy storage applications. The selection of zinc as an anode material is motivated by its high theoretical capacity, abundance, and affordability, rendering it an attractive option for both grid-scale and portable energy storage systems. However, the practical implementation of zinc metal anodes is hindered by challenges such as dendrite formation, passivation, and limited reversibility, which necessitate effective solutions for the successful deployment of AZIBs.
My research aims to address these challenges by focusing on the development of high-performance AZIBs through surface engineering techniques applied to zinc metal anodes.
Hajra Khan
ARC Doctor of Philosophy Scholarship.
Research topic: Develop Anode materials for Rechargeable Zn-ion Batteries.
The global energy crisis is a pressing concern, driven by factors like supply shortages, increasing demand, and reliance on fossil fuels. This crisis is leading to soaring energy costs, shortages, and the heightened use of environmentally detrimental energy sources, causing increased pollution. Addressing this crisis necessitates diversifying energy sources. In this context, stationary electrical energy storage (SEES) systems offer significant benefits. Modern batteries incorporate a range of materials to cater to diverse energy storage needs. Zinc-ion batteries stand out as a promising choice for SEES systems due to their high energy density, superior safety, affordability, low redox potential (-0.76V vs. the standard hydrogen electrode), and substantial volumetric capacity (5855mAhcm-3).
My project is aimed at developing anode materials for zinc-ion batteries, with a particular emphasis on mitigating dendrite growth, enhancing surface passivation, and reducing the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). I intend to improve the performance and safety of zinc-ion batteries by investigating materials, coatings, and electrolyte optimizations to address these critical challenges. The final goal is to achieve high-energy-density batteries that can endure prolonged cycling.
Yingying Chen
Yingying Chen is a visiting scholar from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology. She was awarded the Jiangsu Overseas Visiting Scholar Program for University Prominent Young & Middle-aged Teachers and Presidents in 2023.
Research topic: High-performance electrode materials for sodium ion battery research
Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as promising alternatives to lithium-ion batteries for large-scale energy storage due to the richer reserves and lower prices of raw materials required for SIBs. However, the ionic radius of sodium is much larger than that of lithium, resulting in lower diffusion kinetics and large volume expansion during charging and discharging, which hinders the performance of SIBs and creates new challenges. The performance of SIBs is greatly dependent on the electrode materials and hence my research is mainly focused on improving the electrochemical performance of several kinds of electrode materials. This will include multiple strategies, such as designing the structure of materials, optimizing the electrolyte and understanding the electrochemical reaction mechanisms.
Bahram Shirzadi
UTS President’s Scholarship
Research topic: Atomic layer deposition combined with machine learning for the fabrication and industrialization of high-voltage metal oxide composite electrodes for capacitive water desalination.
The leading desalination technologies, including reverse osmosis (RO) and thermal evaporation (TE), are significantly energy-intensive. Moreover, the efficiency of these processes tends to deteriorate over time, especially for RO, where membranes can become inoperable after several cycles. By contrast, "Capacitive Deionization (CDI) is a novel technology that separates ions and polarizable species from water through electric double-layer (EDL) capacitance. It features low operational costs and minimal water rejection." Nevertheless, limited surface area, ion adsorption, energy efficiency, and material degradation are the main challenges of CDI for practical applications. To address the mentioned problems, it is proposed to combine doping of the lattice and surface with novel fabrication techniques. The latter includes employing Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) for the fabrication of highly porous 3D scaffolds, leading to high ionic intercalation while hindering material deterioration and cyclic performance decay.