INSPIRE · In Situ Probing of transition metal-oxide heteroInterfaces for high-peRformance solid-state Energy devices
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2019-06-01 → 2021-05-31
- EU contribution
- €212,934
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF-EF-ST
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Results in brief
In Situ Probing of transition metal-oxide heteroInterfaces for high-peRformance solid-state Energy devices
The current solid oxide cell (SOC) technology has been optimized to operate at high temperatures (> 750 °C) but suffers from high maintenance costs and microstructural and chemical degradation issues. These problems can be expected to decrease by operating at lower temperatures (300-500 °C). However, today's state-of-the-art materials and microstructural designs lead to an overall performance decrease at lower temperatures due to slower ionic/electronic motion. In recent years, advances in material and microstructural designs have presented unparalleled opportunities for further development. For example, through careful tuning of the crystal structure and the stress/strain, thin films exhibit orders of magnitude faster ion-exchange/diffusion kinetics. However, there is a continuous debate regarding the origin of these enhancements, mainly due to the lack of systematic and comparative analysis with surface-sensitive in situ and ex situ characterisation techniques. INSPIRE addresses this issue by a combination of spectroscopic techniques; low energy ion scattering spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry. In terms of materials design, we tune the crystal structure in two ways: the first is by varying the substrate temperature during pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and the second is by depositing vertically aligned composite nanostructures (VAN) by PLD. The performance of these heterostructures is investigated for LT-SOC applications, targeting higher performance outputs and stability at lower operating temperatures (300-500°C). INSPIRE aimed to bring together fundamental knowledge and materials engineering by combining advanced elemental characterization techniques with next-generation film microstructures. One of the key metrics of this project was to use materials based on our existing knowledge in electrochemistry and nanotechnology. In this way, our engineered microstructural designs will provide researchers with new directions to explore, while providing commercial organizations with valuable information to adapt these microstructures with familiar materials for low-temperature operation. The overall objective of this project is to probe the remarkable activity in the thin film electrodes (single-phase or vertically aligned nanocomposite) with the latest instrumental capabilities. A deeper understanding of the underlying kinetic mechanism helps to rationally design other heterostructures and heterointerfaces with superior properties, targeting durable, high-performance, and low-temperature operations. The second objective is to monitor the electrochemical performance for LT-SOC applications systematically. The study on VAN heterostructures as well as their single-phase counterparts reveals the influence of strain and lattice interactions on the performance of these cathodes.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Improving energy efficiency, reducing emissions and increasing the share of renewables are among the primary targets of the EU. To achieve these goals, solid-state energy devices, including solid oxide cells (SOCs), have gathered significant attention. In recent years, advances in material design have opened up unprecedented opportunities for development. For example, compared with either single phase, heterointerfaces of transition metal oxides (TMOs) exhibit orders of magnitude faster ion exchange/diffusion kinetics in SOCs. However, there is continuous debate regarding the origin of these enhancements, mainly due to limited instrumental resolutions compared to the nanometre length scale of heterointerfaces. The underlying electrokinetic mechanisms must be understood and quantitatively determined so that we can rationally design interfaces with superior properties. This will open up new avenues in the low-temperature SOC (LT-SOC) applications. To this end, we propose an in-situ study of a range of heterointerfaces using both Low Energy Ion Scattering Spectroscopy and recently installed, one-of-a-kind and high-resolution Plasma Focused Ion Beam Secondary Ion Mass Spectroscopy. We will design strain-engineered vertically aligned composite nanostructures (VAN) of TMO heterostructures using Pulsed Laser Deposition. VAN design allows for strain tuning in electrodes with thicknesses reaching micrometre length scales, thus paving the way for potential commercialisation. The performance of these heterostructures will be investigated for LT-SOC applications, targeting higher outputs at lower operating temperatures (300-500°C). This project combines the candidate’s expertise in SOCs with the host institute’s unique surface characterisation capabilities. This work is expected to form a cornerstone in the researcher's academic career while significantly contributing to boosting European excellence by studying a highly topical research question.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE · LondonCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union