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/