Group leader: Prof. Eliana Quartarone
Group Members: Daniele Callegari (PhD), Stefania Davino (PhD), Camilla Rosa (PhD), Pietro Cattaneo (PhD), Andrea Bianchi (Fellow)
Laboratory: EMEC_Lab Lab of Energy Materials and Electrochemistry
The EMEC_Lab research is focused on the development of advanced materials for fuel cells and batteries. These technologies need to be improved in terms of durability, cost per stored energy and sustainability. Some crucial issues which are detrimental on their functional performances are related to the physical-chemistry of the electroactive materials for electrodes and electrolytes. In this context, the research activity points to the materials optimization through new strategies of chemical neutrality (e.g. green chemistry, self-healing functionalities, nanometric fillers, etc) by considering fundamental aspects as safety, environmental impact and recycling/re-use concepts. The materials are investigated in terms of structural (XRD), morphological (SEM-EDX, AFM, TEM), mechanical (DMA, rheology), thermal (DSC, TGA, STA-GC/MS-FTIR, ARC), spectroscopic (FTIR, RAMAN, XAS) and functional (electrochemical characterization) points of view. Particular attention is devoted to innovative operando techniques (e.g. XAS, XRD, RAMAN) for the mechanism understandings. In more details:
Low temperature fuel cells (PEMFCs)
- Proton exchange membranes for low temperature fuel cells (composites and polybenzimidazole-based polymers)
Li- and post-Li batteries
- Electrolyte: Liquids (ionic liquids, deep eutectic solvents and concentrated electrolytes), Polymers (gel, solid and quasi-solid electrolytes), ceramics;
- Anode: 2D materials, alloys and oxides;
- Cathodes with different structures for Li and Na insertion;
- New technology: Nanoarchitectures, 3D printing via Additive Manufacturing and soft litography, thin films;
- Recycling and Reuse for a circular economy.
EMEC_Lab has numerous collaborations with industry (Solvay, ENI, European Recycling Platform), with several Italian and foreign universities/research institutes and with the most important research platforms and communities on batteries in the EU (Battery Europe and Battery European Partnership Association), of which Prof. Quartarone is an active member and technical expert.