Organic and Inorganic Chemistry Literature Seminar: Modern Aqueous Batteries

Organic and Inorganic Chemistry Literature Seminar: Modern Aqueous Batteries

March 20th

11:30

Mr. Tomer Burshtein, Eisenberg Group

Modern Aqueous Batteries

For the past century, batteries have become an indispensable part of modern human lives. Their widespread use has increased even more since the implementation of lithium-ion batteries, found anywhere from modern cellphones to electric vehicles. The first battery-like contraption was made by Alessandro Volta, producing a current by stacking zinc and copper plates with electrolyte-soaked pieces of cloth in between. Based on the same electrochemical reaction, the first widely used battery was made in the 19th century, called a gravity cell, applied by telegraph works in the USA and UK. Since then, through fast development of industrial infrastructure, batteries are used everywhere, as a reliable and adaptable source of electric power. In recent decades, research into batteries other than Li-ion/polymer has grown substantially (e.g., lithium-sulfur), due to accelerated demand for smaller and more energy-packed power sources. Yet these are still in their nascent form, and present several challenges due to their complexity, including the electrodes, separator, and electrolyte compositions.
In my literature seminar, I will survey the developmental history of batteries up to today, and present the concepts and challenges, from the chemical and electrochemical point of view, of new promising battery technologies, namely zinc-air, Li-sulfur, and redox flow batteries.