Energetica India Magazine nº88 March-April 2020

ENERGY STORAGE Are Graphene-Based Batteries & Technologies the Perfect Answer to Our Future Energy Needs? One of the prominent areas where graphene has left its mark so far is undoubtedly the energy sector. Experts around the globe almost unanimously agree upon the fact that in the years to come, graphene and its derivatives can pave the way for a plethora of priceless applications in the energy industry (especially for the renewable and clean energy space). Hailed worldwide in the recent past as “the wonder nanoma- terial” or the “material of choice for the future of innovation”, graphene (which is a crystalline Carbon allotrope) has been at the centre of attraction for the scientific community for almost a decade now. With striking properties such as super light- weight, extraordinarily high chemical stability as well as elec- trical and heat conductivity, and huge surface area, graphene has found novel applications in transforming several industries and domains, ranging from biotechnology to optical electron- ics, telecom, healthcare, nanoengineering, and so on. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that with further intensification of research and commercialization, the “graphene revolution” has the potential to practically change the direction of mankind for good. One of the prominent areas where graphene has left its mark so far is undoubtedly the energy sector. Experts around the globe almost unanimously agree upon the fact that in the years to come, graphene and its derivatives can pave the way for a plethora of priceless applications in the energy industry (espe- cially for the renewable and clean energy space). Decoding the Boon of Graphene for Energy Sector As per an official statement by the University of Manchester (where graphene was discovered way back in 2004), “com- bining all of graphene’s amazing properties could create an impact of the scale last seen with the Industrial Revolution”. However, it needs to be noted here that the physical flexibility of the material, amongst many other factors, is what makes it a “better choice” in terms of energy storage. As the role of graphene as an enabler in the energy sector con- tinues to gain impetus, it has been already experimented with in an array of devices starting from batteries (for stationary and automotive) to supercapacitors and even fuel cells! Graphene has the ability to transfer electricity almost 140 times faster than lithium; this clearly explains why the use of graphene in the optimization of Li-Ion batteries has worked wonders. Researchers at Northwestern University had in the past used graphene within an electrode for Li-ion batteries, which significantly improved its power density, thus resulting in ten times faster battery charging. Modified graphene sheets had been demonstrated to result in producing higher energy density as well as enhancement in the charge/discharge cy- cles of batteries. In a major stride for consumer electronics, Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology announced in 2017 that it is developing a “graphene ball” which allowed lithium-ion batteries to charge five times faster; various reports suggest that Samsung could launch a smartphone with a graphene battery as early as 2020 or 2021. To cut the long story short, the graphene-lithium hybrid chem- istry has lately ushered groundbreaking innovation for ener- gy storage cells, overcoming numerous challenges related to electrode density, battery lifespan, etc. Not only with the popular lithium-ion batteries, graphene-supported electrodes demonstrated significant improvements in the performance of Lithium-Sulphur batteries and lead-acid batteries too! I believe that it is only a matter of time before Electric Vehicle (EV) batter- ies or fuel cells start using graphene on a large scale, replacing costly materials and hence the total cost of ownership (TCO). In supercapacitors, graphene has been experimented as a material for storing ions along the electrodes, wherein it has been observed that their performance improved drastically; so much so that these could be soon upgraded to a level where Akshay Singhal Founder & CEO, Log 9 Materials 44 energetica INDIA- March-April_2020