Development of advanced electrode-electrolyte interfaces for next-generation high-voltage aqueous batteries

Rechargeable high-voltage aqueous batteries based on highly concentrated water-in-salt electrolytes and dual-ion redox chemistry provide an extremely promising platform for safe, costeffective, and scalable energy storage. However, the water-in-salt electrolytes remain largely unexplored, and even the most basic scientific questions are open. The goal of this project is to investigate fundamental electrochemical processes occurring at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces in water-in-salt electrolytes with wide electrochemical potential windows in contact with smartly engineered electrode materials. We will design and fabricate novel high-voltage aqueous electrolytes and electrode materials and employ advanced ex-situ and in-situ characterization techniques to gain an understanding of the properties and energy storage in multivalent-metal-ion and nonmetal-ion systems. As a result, this project will shed light on the fundamental mechanisms and requirements for high voltage and high energy density in aqueous systems, paving the way for the next generation of aqueous batteries.