Eco-responsible development of a graphene-sulfur battery

Energy storage devices will play a key role in the energy transformation process, serving as technological drivers that can ensure a realistic transition to a massive reduction in greenhouse gases.

Current energy storage devices (Pb, Li-ion, Ni-Cd batteries, etc.) are, however, loaded with toxic and costly ingredients, particularly heavy elements, and are produced using energy-intensive processes often requiring elements with low abundances in the earth's crust.

As a result, there is an increasingly urgent need to develop new generations of high-performance batteries that can be manufactured in an eco-responsible way using lightweight, abundant and environmentally-friendly materials. This proposal builds on the recent discovery of a material, graphene-sulfur (GS), and aims to develop an original research program on energy storage with this compound.

The main aim of this project is to develop knowledge of the redox properties of lithiated GS and to create a prototype battery with GS electrodes in a standard architecture similar to that of rechargeable Li-ion devices, with working electrodes separated by a liquid or polymer electrolyte.

There is a good deal of work on Li-S batteries, as they demonstrate significant advantages for energy storage. However, the Li-S battery faces significant stability problems linked to the solubility of lithiated sulfur in the battery electrolyte. Despite years of research, no viable solution to these stability problems has yet been found. The original aspect of this project is based on the use of GS as a stabilizing agent for lithiated sulfur complexes. By stabilizing the electrode with GS, it will be possible to maintain the recognized advantages of Li-S batteries while solving the stability problems associated with sulfur. Given the abundance of GS compositional elements (C and S) and the minimal impact of GS synthesis on the environment, achieving the objectives of this project will enable the manufacture of low-cost, transportable lithium-ion batteries based largely on the use of materials derived sustainably from readily available natural sources.