Aston University to research safer and greener batteries

According to the researchers, current batteries and other energy storage devices are assembled via multiple laborious processing steps and typically use flammable solvents and fossil fuel-derived materials with poor thermal and chemical stability.

With the EPSRC grant, the Aston University researchers aim to develop renewable ionogels which conduct electrically charged ions, which they claim could replace current harmful, flammable components and will help prevent batteries from leaking.

The research intends to provide a greener and safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries in particular, the most commonly used for electric vehicles and electronics.

In a statement, study lead Dr Matt Derry, who is based in the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences and a lecturer in chemistry at the university, said: “There is a need to identify new solutions for sustainable energy storage but one of the biggest barriers to the uptake of renewable energy is the lack of scalable methods of storing electrical energy.