Developing high-energy lithium metal batteries for green energy storage
Value
$32,500 per year (RTP Stipend rate, indexed annually); additional funds ($7.5k) during the course of the PhD for travel and other PhD-related expenses.
Duration
3.5 years
Status
Closed
Opens
14/03/2023Closes
31/01/2024Overview
It is well recognized that energy generated from renewable sources instead of burning fossil fuels reduces greenhouse gas emissions. Developing reliable energy storage systems plays an essential role in boosting renewable energy utilisation. Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are widely used as a dominant system for energy storage. In the past 30 years, the state-of-the-art Lithium–ion batteries have almost reached their limit in practical energy density and can soon not be able to be optimized further. There is an urgent need for new battery technologies next to them.
Lithium-based rechargeable batteries that directly use high-capacity lithium metal materials as the anodes can provide significantly higher theoretical energy density than traditional lithium–ion batteries. This project aims to develop nanostructured lithium metal anodes for rechargeable lithium metal batteries with high energy density and excellent cycle life. Lithium metal batteries such as lithium-sulfur batteries and lithium carbon-dioxide batteries present great opportunities for long-range electric vehicles and high-efficient renewable energy storage. Through the rational structure design and advanced interface engineering, the developed lithium metal anodes are expected to overcome the critical issues that hindered their practical application for high-energy batteries. The outcomes will generate new knowledge in materials science and nanofabrication and promote the upgrade of the battery industry, which will provide new technological solutions for next-generation green energy storage. This project will provide excellent training opportunities in the areas of energy materials, electrochemistry and battery technology.
Who is eligible?
Applicants can be International or domestic student - either permanent Australian residents or New Zealand citizens. To be eligible for this applicantion, applicants must have completed a UTS recognised degree in
• MSc Research or MSc Coursework with a research thesis of at least 6 months,
• or Bachelor Honours degree with 1st Class, or 2nd Class Division 1, or division 1 honours, or an equivalent or higher qualification,
• or submitted other evidence of general and professional qualifications that demonstrates potential to pursue graduate research studies.
International students
Visa requirement: To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.
Selection process
Selection criteria includes research potential, research experience, quality of the research proposal, alignment with the UTS Research Strategy and the strategic goals of the field of specialisation, and the Faculty's ability to offer appropriate supervision in the applicant's chosen field.
Please note there are 2 stipend scholarships under this project - One for Internatonal and One for Domestic. The selection will be based on first come serve basis. To be eligible for this application, the candidate must hold the following or equivalent degree in Chemistry, or Chemical Engineering, or Materials Science and Engineering, or Physics.
Need more information? Contact...
Please contact the following person for further information.
Name: Bing Sun
Email: bing.sun@uts.edu.au
Other information
The University of Technology Sydney is Australia’s Top Young University and ranked within the Top 200 universities worldwide. UTS has a growing reputation for highly applied research that leaves a lasting positive impact on the world in which we live. Its vibrant campus is located in the center of Sydney, with easy access to all amenities and transport that is ideally suited for PhD student living.
