Engineering Hybrid Metal Nitrides/Carbon-Atom Wire Novel Materials for high-performance Electrochemical Energy Storage

An escalated demand and subsequent high consumption of energy in the coming decades directed toward the development of a suitable energy storage device. Supercapacitor, also known as Electrochemical capacitor, technology steps forward as a promising solution to unlock the capacity of renewable energy exploration. However, the major drawback of supercapacitors is the limited energy density which necessitates further research and development. The performances and potential of supercapacitor technology strongly lies in the construction of novel electrode materials and its physico-chemical properties. Hence, the focus of current project titled ENHANCER is committed towards ENgineering a Hybrid nANostructures for aqueous asymmetric electroChEmical capacitoR, addressing a key question in today’s energy technology: How quickly can we leapfrog in the supercapacitor technology so as to replace the current battery technology? ENHANCER aims to - (i) develop an adaptable strategy for designing a metal nitrides/carbon-atomic wires in a single run by a single-deposition unit, (ii) establish structure-property-performance relationship, and (ii) fabricate aqueous-based solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device with energy density and power density higher than the existing technology. The novel strategy makes ENHANCER multidisciplinary involving a strong combination of materials science, plasma physics, electrochemistry and energy technology. This proposal includes two-way transfer of knowledge between candidate and host. Results have the potential to increase the competitiveness of energy storage technologies and provide huge scope for the fundamental insights on the nanomaterials based research. The outcome of the research during the fellowship will pave the way to open new perspectives of newly designed electrode materials for catalysis, optoelectronic and other energy applications. The project is in line with the sustainable development goal of European union.