DOCTORAL CANDIDATE
Megha Mini Reghunathan

SUPERVISORS
Prof. Vittoria Pischedda, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 (UCBL)
Ass. Prof. Neeraj Sharma, University of New South Wales (UNSW)

This project explores the potential of high-pressure techniques to develop more durable and high-performance electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Traditional materials like lithium transition metal oxides for cathodes and graphite for anodes have long been considered ideal due to their high capacity. However, they suffer from rapid degradation mechanisms such as particle cracking, oxygen release, and Li/Ni mixing, which hinder their long-term stability and limit lithium-ion diffusion. Additionally, current graphite-based anodes struggle to meet growing demands for higher capacity and faster charging rates, pushing the need for alternatives such as biomass-derived carbons or recycled carbon materials.

Pressure, recognised as an influential thermodynamic variable, can significantly influence material properties. In situ investigations of transport properties, particularly during the amorphisation process, offer valuable insights for improving material stability and performance. This study will focus on understanding the impact of high pressure on biomass-derived carbons, recycled battery materials and NMCs. Using in situ high-pressure and high-temperature experiments, with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy during compression-decompression cycles within a diamond anvil cell or a large Paris-Edinburgh press, these investigations aim to enhance the structural and electrochemical stability of electrode materials.