Operando Screening of emerging Anodes for Na-based stationary storage of Renewable energy

The ambition of the OScAR project is to facilitate future commercial development of Na-ion batteries (NIBs) for stationary energy storage by establishing a fundamental understanding of a family of Sn-based anode materials capable of boosting the capacity of existing NIBs. As the need for stationary energy storage installations is expected to exponentially increase, the request for cheap and efficient battery solutions is evident. Currently, Li-ion batteries is the dominating battery technology but the environmental and social challenges associated with their mass production represent an urgent need for alternatives. NIBs have been recognized as the most promising solution. In addition to Na itself being abundant, the other key components of NIBs need to also rely on a materials' set, delivering a cheaper and more sustainable solution for stationary energy storage. OScAR will focus on the development of Sn-based anodes that -along with Sn being abundant, low-cost, and non-toxic- have been proposed to deliver a substantially higher capacity than hard carbon - the only material demonstrated in industrially relevant prototypes so far -. However, lack of cycling stability and gaps between theoretical and experimental capacities are preventing these materials from becoming a mature battery technology. OScAR will perform state-of-the-art operando compositional screening down to atomic-scale of Sn-based anodes. Observing the real-time evolution of battery components with parallel measurements of their electrochemical response can elucidate the operating mechanism of Sn-based anodes during cycling - a necessity for future materials’ optimization. The final goal of OScAR is the demonstration of a practical Sn-based NIB. The development of high-performing, cost-efficient, and “user-friendly” batteries can facilitate the deployment of renewable energy harvesting, allowing to decrease the CO2 emissions responsible for climate change.

As the need for stationary energy storage installations is expected to exponentially increase, the request for cheap and efficient battery solutions is evident. Currently, Li-ion batteries is the dominating battery technology but the environmental and social challenges associated with their mass production represent an urgent need for alternative solutions. Considering the anticipated volume of required stationary energy storage, the price, sustainability, and availability of materials become ever more important. Na-ion batteries (NIBs) have been recognized as the most promising solution. In addition to Na itself being abundant, the other key components of NIBs need to also rely on a materials' set, delivering a cheaper and more sustainable solution for stationary energy storage. Therefore, the goal of the OScAR project is to advance state-of-the-art NIBs and facilitate future commercial deployment, through the development of new anode materials, capable of delivering higher performance compared to the materials used today. Hard carbon is the only material that has been demonstrated in industrially relevant prototypes so far. Our project will focus on the development of more promising Sn-based anodes that -along with Sn being abundant, low-cost, and non-toxic- have been proposed to deliver a substantially higher capacity. However, lack of cycling stability and gaps between theoretical and experimental capacities are preventing these materials from becoming a mature battery technology. OScAR will conduct a comparative compositional screening of Sn oxides and chalcogenides (SnX) by employing state–of–the–art operando methods. A successful establishment of a composition-performance library will lead to the development of a practical SnX-based NIB. To reach this goal, an advanced multidisciplinary scheme will be followed in 3 directions: (1) fundamental materials science, (2) methodological expansion of operando methods, (3) demonstration of a full NIB with SnX-anode.