Nanoseminar in Chemistry & Materials

IN PERSON EVENT - REGISTER HERE to attend

Speaker: Dr. Rebeca Marcilla, Senior Researcher, Electrochemical Processes Unit, IMDEA Energy, Madrid, Spain

Abstract: The expected growth over the next few years in the battery sector is huge, with approximately 7 million tons of new batteries manufactured per year. However, the massive development of the sector could become an environmental problem since most commercial batteries are based on inorganic materials containing Ni, Co, Li, V that are scarce, not sustainable, and in some cases toxic. In this context, the replacement of these materials by organic compounds based on elements as abundant as C has become a very promising alternative.

In this talk, I will present an overview of our activities on organic-based batteries moving from organic aqueous redox flow batteries (OARFBs) to static batteries using redox polymers. In the case of RFBs, I will present a new concept of membrane-free RFB using immiscible electrolytes, in which our group is pioneer. In the second part, I will show the different redox-active polymer structures (linear, porous, hyperbranched) that we have developed in the last years. I will focused on their electrochemical properties in different electrolytes and their application in several battery technologies including Li-ion, multivalent, aqueous, all-polymer, etc

Biography: Rebeca Marcilla is Senior Researcher at Electrochemical Processed Unit in IMDEA Energy Institute. During her scientific career, she has acquired proven experience in advanced materials (eg. ionic liquids, polymer electrolytes, redox-active polymers, etc) and their application in electrochemical energy storage technologies. She is co-author of more than 120 articles, 7 patents and invited speaker in several international congresses. She has supervised 12 PhD thesis (6 presented+6 on-going) and several postdoctoral researchers including Marie Curie. She is member of the Governing Board of the Electrochemistry Group of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (GEE-RSEQ) and since 2023 appointed as Editor of Journal of Power Sources. She is PI of several National and Regional projects and also European projects including 2 Marie-Curie ETN, 1 FET-Proactive, 1 EIC and one prestigious ERC Consolidator Grant.

Hosted by Prof. Daniel Maspoch, Supramolecular Nanochemistry and Materials Group Leader at ICN2.