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Comprehensive characterization of bulk and interfaces mechanisms in water-in-salt electrolytes for aqueo

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Thesis topic details

General information

Organisation

The French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) is a key player in research, development and innovation in four main areas :
• defence and security,
• nuclear energy (fission and fusion),
• technological research for industry,
• fundamental research in the physical sciences and life sciences.

Drawing on its widely acknowledged expertise, and thanks to its 16000 technicians, engineers, researchers and staff, the CEA actively participates in collaborative projects with a large number of academic and industrial partners.

The CEA is established in ten centers spread throughout France
  

Reference

SL-DRF-25-0927  

Direction

DRF

Thesis topic details

Category

Condensed Matter Physics, chemistry, nanosciences

Thesis topics

Comprehensive characterization of bulk and interfaces mechanisms in water-in-salt electrolytes for aqueous batteries

Contract

Thèse

Job description

One greener alternative to current Li-ion batteries are aqueous batteries. Unfortunately, water is thermodynamically stable in a very narrow potential window of only 1.23 V, resulting in poor energy efficiency. Using concentrated aqueous electrolytes (Water-In-Salt aqueous Electrolytes (WISEs)), a significant increase in the potential window of aqueous Li batteries up to 3 V can be achieved. Yet, aqueous batteries based on WISE electrolytes suffer from several issues leading to electrochemical failure such as self-discharge, pH evolution, parasitic reactions and instable interfaces layers. There is thus a strong need to understand the reactivity in concentrated electrolytes. In the frame of the ANR project AQUABATT, we will address these issues using a comprehensive approach combining different advanced characterization techniques. The PhD student will address these limitations by providing a comprehensive approach of the reactivity as function of salt concentration. The student will combine electrochemical measurements with infrared and NMR spectroscopies to elucidate the solvation structure of the solutions. The nature of the interface between the electrolyte and the electrode and bulk redox mechanisms in electrodes will be investigated by means of synchrotron operando infrared spectroscopy and operando X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) respectively.

University / doctoral school

Sciences Chimiques: Molécules, Matériaux, Instrumentation et Biosystèmes (2MIB)
Paris-Saclay

Thesis topic location

Site

Saclay

Requester

Position start date

01/11/2025

Person to be contacted by the applicant

GAUTHIER Magali magali.gauthier@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRAMIS/NIMBE/LEEL

01 69 08 45 30

Tutor / Responsible thesis director

GAUTHIER Magali magali.gauthier@cea.fr
CEA
DRF/IRAMIS/NIMBE/LEEL

01 69 08 45 30

En savoir plus

https://iramis.cea.fr/en/nimbe/pisp/magali-gauthier/
https://iramis.cea.fr/en/nimbe/leel/