Ciência sem Fronteiras (Science Without Borders) PhD Project Template: PI name & contact details: Prof Noel Buckley noel.buckley@UL.ie Department Physics and Energy http://www.energy.ul.ie/ Has project been agreed with head (or nominee) of proposed registration school? Yes Research Centre / group affiliation: Materials and Surface Science Institute (MSSI) Research group / centre website: http://www.ul.ie/mssi PI website / link to CV: http://www.energy.ul.ie/people/faculty/prof-d-n-noelbuckley Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max): Professor Buckley is a Past-President of the Electrochemical Society http://www.electrochem.org and has over 30 years experience of electrochemistry and materials and their application to technology. His areas of research include electrochemical nanotechnology, electrochemical energy storage and thin films and nanostructures for electronic and photonic applications. Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web): The evolution of atomic level stress during intercalation in electrode materials used in sodiumion batteries. Rechargeable battery systems with transport ions other than lithium offer an alternative to lithium-ion batteries that would substantially expand the existing energy storage market, which is primarily based on lithium-ion technology. Sodium-based batteries are particularly attractive: Sodium is a cheap, nontoxic, and abundant element that is uniformly distributed around the world and therefore would be ideal as a transport ion for rechargeable batteries. To date, sodium-ion technologies have not been able to improve on the energy density capabilities of lithium-ion. However, as battery technologies extend to automobile use and to large-scale energy storage where storage density is not the critical factor, the sodium cell would be a cheaper and better option for storing renewable solar or wind energy. Suitable sodium ion electrode materials have not been extensively examined due to the focus on lithium-ion technologies. Since energy storage is determined not by the transport ion but by the electrode material, sodium ion technologies are a most attractive alternative to lithium-ion. In a typical sodium-ion battery, during the charging cycle, sodium is intercalated into electrode materials such as hard carbon and layered vanadium oxide. The density of intercalated sodium ions determines the energy density of the battery. However, intercalation introduces stresses in the electrode which, over many charging cycles, can result in electrode material failure. This project aims to determine the stress evolution during intercalation of sodium. The effect of charge/discharge rate and charge density on stress leading to material breakdown will be examined. In-situ stress and insitu AFM investigations will be used to study the evolution of stress and morphological changes during repeated charge/discharge cycles. These techniques will be combined with atomic scale modelling to determine the stress effects occurring at both the macroscopic and atomic levels. Unique selling points of PhD project in UL: The University of Limerick (UL) with over 11,500 students and 1,300 staff is an energetic and enterprising institution with a proud record of innovation and excellence in education, research and scholarship. It is widely recognized for the outstanding student experience it offers to all its students, the excellence of its research and the impact it is making on our society and our economy. In 2011 UL, was independently evaluated by the international university rating agency QS Stars and was awarded the maximum 5-star rating in 6 categories namely, teaching, engagement, internationalization, innovation and knowledge transfer, infrastructure, and employability of UL graduates. UL's Materials and Surface Science Institute is an internationally recognized center of excellence. Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply: Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical, Mechanical, or Chemical Engineering Please indicate whether students can apply for: Sandwich programme only Full PhD programme only Either of the above x Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area: Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only one (tick box): Engineering and other technological areas Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry) Health and Biomedical Sciences Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) Aerospace Pharmaceuticals Oil, Gas and Coal Renewable Energy x Minerals Biotechnology Nanotechnology and New Materials Technology of prevention and remediation of natural disasters Biodiversity and Bioprospection Marine Sciences Creative Industry New technologies in constructive engineering