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Several aspects of nanomaterials can prove advantageous for conventional batteries not just because their smaller size reduces ionic diffusion time.
In fact, their larger interfacial area allows for interfacial engineering to increase ionic uptake, says Shantikumar V Nair, Dean, Nanosciences and Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and Director of Amrita School of Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine.
Certain nanomaterials are also intrinsically better electron conductors and can aid in battery power and capacity, he told BusinessLine in an interview.
Nair has an h-index (a metric for evaluating the cumulative impact of an author’s scholarly output and performance) of 86, placing him among the few scientists from India with that above 80.
He received his B.Tech in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Bombay and MS and Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from Columbia University and served as a distinguished professor at the University of Massachusetts for more than 20 years. Excerpts:
What role do nanomaterials have to play in consumer electronics and electric transportation?
Consumer electronics need high efficiency and miniaturisation, both of which are the strength of nanomaterials. Nanomaterial electronics can be printed on surfaces easily and are stable and hence not intrusive to the user.
What are the challenges associated with their use in batteries?
One challenge is the reproducible scale-up of nanomaterials for battery applications. This has been successfully accomplished at Amrita for some of our battery nanomaterials. Reactions with electrolytes are a general problem in batteries but controlling the chemistry of nano interfaces can minimise such interactions.
Can lithium-ion power hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles?
Li ion is certainly a candidate for such applications, and we are not that far from seeing it as a broader reality. One aspect that needs to be resolved is battery power which, Amrita has addressed.
What about battery electrical energy storage systems for smart grids powered by coal, wind or solar sources?
Storage for energy grids is already well established and cheaper systems can also work. Li ion batteries may not be needed. One aspect that may be important is battery volume for compact storage systems. Volumetric capacity is important here and here, too, nanomaterials could eventually be competitive.
Have we mastered morphological control as key to the toolbox of nanotechnology?
Morphological control is the key to using any nanomaterial, and we now have two decades of experience with this. For example, nanofibers can give better solar conversion efficiency than nanoparticles.
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