VIDICAT · Versatile Ionomers for DIvalent CAlcium baTteries

Improving energy management is vitaI for the future. It implies greener production ways and smarter conversion and storage devices. For the latter, lithium batteries (LiB) have flooded the market of electronic devices and are now also powering electric vehicles and stationary storage plants. The huge energy storage-demand involves an explosion of the battery production, which will face in the future the problem of limited resources, unlocated in Europe. Therefore, it is important to investigate alternative batteries. Recent years have seen the emergence of post-LiB, like sodium-, magnesium- or calcium technologies. The last one is very promising in terms of theoretical energy density, safety, and sustainability. However, the lack of reliable electrolytes so far impedes the practical research on rechargeable calcium batteries, CaB. In this proposal VIDICAT aims at developing a new material concept based on nanocomposite ionomers acting both as liquid-free electrolyte and electrode binders. Such approach will provide at the interface with calcium, highly chemically, electrochemically and thermally stable polymer electrolytes. Due to outstanding mechanical performance, very thin electrolytes (1 µm) are targeted, with cationic conductance close to standard lithium ones. In the frame of developing this ground-breaking electrolyte concept, VIDICAT will also search for positive electrodes with the final challenging purpose of proposing reliable and safe CaB. Innovation is omnipresent as the targeted negative and positive electrodes have never been evaluated with liquid-free ionomers as electrolyte and binder. Nonetheless, VIDICAT objective is the achieving of a CaB prototype reaching energy density similar to State of Art LiB. Multidisciplinary, VIDICAT will increase EU capacity building in low-carbon energy. Based on sustainable ores, VIDICAT will prevent the loss of non-renewable chemicals and paves the way for Europe energetic independence.