Research
Materials for sustainable energy storage
I work on improving and understanding materials used in batteries. My research on batteries has been diverse and I have consistently studied the conventional lithium-ion batteries in industry, while also studying alternative to lithum ion battery technologies like zinc-ion batteries which i studied during my masters degree, and sodium-ion batteries which I currently study in my PhD. I have outlined some of my work here.
Probing gas degradation mechanisms in sodium ion batteries
In batteries, degradation occurs due to the irreversible decomposition of electrolytes. The products of the decomposition reactions including gases, then react with active components of the electrodes and consistently reduce the capacity of the battery until it is fully degraded. In this research project, we probe the gases and volatile species formed while the cell cycles, using a novel electrochemistry mass spectrometry technique that detects picomole quanities of these species in real time. Combining this technique with other surface sensitive techniques, we are able to better understand degradation mechanisms in sodium ion batteries, and with this understanding, design better long lasting batteries.
I presented posters showing preliminary results on this project at the MAT-SUS Nanoge fall meeting, Barcelona 2022, and to members of parliament at the House of commons, as a finalist at the STEM for Britain Poster competition, 2023. I have also given a talk on this research at the african materials research society conference, AMRS, Senegal 2022.
Sulfur doping hard carbon materials for improved sodium storage
Hetero atom doping of carbon materials can tune their properties, including their electrochemical properties. In this work, we dope hard carbons with sulfur using a simple chemical vapor deposition technique and this helps to improve the electrochemical reversibility of the anode in sodium ion batteries. Computational studies and further characterization show that this improved reversibility with sulfur doping is due to due to its adsorption at the defects and its weaker binding energy with sodium ions, which allow its easy adsorption and desorption. View publication here
​I have also presented this research as a poster at the sodium ion battery symposium, SBS 3 Berlin, 2022.
Developing high performance cathode materials for Zinc Batteries
In my masters project, I worked on developing high performance cathode materials for zinc batteries. The current cathodes in aqueous zinc batteries degrade mostly due to dissolution of the cathode in aqueous electrolyte. In this work, we synthesise MnO2 cathodes with an additional alkylphosphonic layer on the surface, that modulates their interface and allows for improved charge transfer and reduced cathode dissolution, thereby reducing degradation and improving cycle stability. View publication here
