Giuseppe Antonio Elia

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Professor (Associate) at Polytechnic University of Turin

A critical overview of the latest developments in the aluminum battery technologies is reported. The substitution of lithium with alternative metal anodes characterized by lower cost and higher abundance is nowadays one of the most widely explored paths to reduce the cost of electrochemical storage systems and enable long-term sustainability. Alumi...

Herein we report, for the first time, an overall evaluation of commercially available battery separators to be used for aluminum batteries, revealing that most of them are not stable in the highly-reactive 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride : aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) electrolyte conventionally employed in rechargeable aluminum batterie...

A high‐performance Al/graphite battery has been investigated, employing a natural graphite cathode (NG) and 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride (EMIMCl):AlCl3 as electrolyte. The employed graphite is characterized by excellent reversibility as revealed by electrochemical tests and ex‐situ XRD. The Al/EMIMCl:AlCl3/NG battery showed extraordinary pe...

Rechargeable graphite dual-ion batteries are extremely appealing for grid-level stationary storage of electricity, thanks to the low-cost and high-performance metrics, such as high-power density, energy efficiency, long cycling life, and good energy density. An in-depth understanding of the anion intercalation mechanism in graphite is fundamental f...

Aluminum batteries are considered compelling electrochemical energy storage systems because of the natural abundance of aluminum, the high charge storage capacity of aluminum of 2980 mA h g−1/8046 mA h cm−3, and the sufficiently low redox potential of Al3+/Al. Several electrochemical storage technologies based on aluminum have been proposed so far....

Hard carbon (HC) has significant potential as anode material for both Li‐ion and Na‐ion batteries; however, its commercialization is hindered by challenges such as poor rate capability and low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE). Although polymeric binders constitute a small fraction of the overall electrode composition, they play a crucial role in...

Acid-assisted hydrothermal carbonisation of vine shoots, followed by annealing, yields tailored hard carbon anodes for Na-ion batteries. Diglyme-based electrolytes improved capacity, efficiency, and stability, showcasing sustainable energy solutions.

Herein, we propose eco-friendly electrolytes based on sodium chloride as a hydrogen bond acceptor and glycerol as a hydrogen bond donor, as alternatives to toxic, flammable and unsustainable electrolytes commonly...

Poly(ethylene oxide)—(PEO-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are regarded as excellent candidates for solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) due to their inherent safety advantages, processability, low cost, and excellent Li+ ion solvation. However, they suffer from limited oxidation stability (up to 4 V vs Li⁺/Li). In this study, a cros...

Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) have emerged as promising candidates for solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their inherent safety advantages and potential to facilitate high energy density devices [1]. Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) has been the most prominent representative polymer host in SPEs since 1970s because of their excellent a...

Liquid electrolytes are currently state-of-the-art for commercial Li-ion batteries. However, their use implicates inherent challenges, including safety concerns associated with flammability, limited thermal stability, and susceptibility to dendrite formation on the lithium metal anode, that can compromise the battery lifespan. Solid-state polymer e...

In this work, sustainable Li‐based battery separators are prepared starting from a waste material from the glass industry, viz. polyvinyl butyral (PVB) widely used as a sacrificial interlayer in high impact‐resistant windows. First, polymeric membranes are prepared via the phase‐inversion method using commercial PVB as the backbone and 4,4′‐methyle...

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are among the most promising materials for solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their inherent safety advantages; however, they suffer from insufficient room-temperature ionic conductivity (up to 10–6 S cm–1) and limited oxidation stability (<4 V). In this study, a nove...

PEO-based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are regarded as excellent candidates for solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their inherent safety advantages, processability, low cost and excellent Li ion solvation. However, they suffer from limited oxidation stability (up to 4 V vs. Li+/Li). In this study, a newly designed crosslinked po...

Poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) based solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are one of the most promising materials for solid-state lithium metal batteries (LMBs) due to their inherent safety advantages, however, they suffer from insufficient room temperature ionic conductivity (up to 10−6 S cm−1) and limited oxidation stability (< 4V). In this study, a nov...

Sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) have recently garnered significant interest in being employed alongside conventional lithium‐ion batteries, particularly in applications where cost and sustainability are particularly relevant. The rapid progress in NIBs will undoubtedly expedite the commercialization process. In this regard, tailoring and designing elec...

In this study, we prepare ionogels composed of bisphenol A ethoxylate dimethacrylate, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide, and 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide or 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ionic liquids via rapid, scalable, solvent-free UV-induc...

This work aims to study the insertion of anion in the crystalline structure of oriented pyrolytic graphite (PG) at the point of view of the anion itself. The electronic and atomic structures of the anion at different intercalation stages are studied. In particular double‐edge (bicolor) X‐ray absorption spectroscopy at the Al and Cl K ‐edges is carr...

Li-ion batteries (LIBs) represent the most sophisticated electrochemical energy storage technology. Nevertheless, they still suffer from safety issues and practical drawbacks related to the use of toxic and flammable liquid electrolytes. Thus, polymer-based solid electrolytes may be a suitable option to fulfill the safety and energy density require...

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) aim to overcome safety issues, decrease package volume, and increase the energy density of next-generation energy storage devices, such as Li-ion and post-lithium batteries. Among different types of SSEs, the ionogel (or ion gel) systems, in which polymer electrolytes are doped with room-temperature ionic liquids (RT...

Liquid electrolytes used in commercial Li-ion batteries are generally based on toxic volatile and flammable organic carbonate solvents, thus raising safety concerns in case of thermal runaway. The most striking solution at present is to switch on all solid-state designs exploiting polymer materials, films, ceramics, low-volatile, green additives, e...

Hybrid solid polymer electrolytes (HSPE) comprising poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), LiTFSI, barium titanate (BaTiO3), and viologen are prepared by a facile hot press. The physical properties of the HSPE membranes are studied by using small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and tensile...

The process of anion intercalation in graphite and its reversibility plays a crucial role in the next generation energy‐storage devices. Herein the reaction mechanism of the aluminum graphite dual ion cell by operando X‐ray scattering from small angles to wide angles is investigated. The staging behavior of the graphite intercalation compound (GIC)...

Although lithium‐ion batteries are playing a paramount role in everyday life around the world, from portable electronics to electric vehicles, there seems to be no international organization governing its development since the commercialization began in 1991. As a consequence, there is no clearly defined nomenclature for certain aspects of lithium‐...

The battery global demand is growing at a fast pace and calls for improved cell technologies able to satisfy a variety of application requirement. Owing to their potential lower cost and higher sustainability, sodium-ion batteries represent the next generation energy storage technology. In this chapter, we give an overview of the historical develop...

Silicon is amongst the most attractive anode materials for Li-ion batteries because of its high gravimetric and volumetric capacity; importantly, it is also abundant and cheap, thus sustainable. For a widespread practical deployment of Si-based electrodes, research efforts must focus on significant breakthroughs to addressing the major challenges r...

Nowadays, face masks play an essential role in limiting coronavirus diffusion. However, their disposable nature represents a relevant environmental issue. In this work, we propose the utilization of two types of disposed (waste) face masks to prepare hard carbons (biochar) by pyrolytic conversion in mild conditions. Moreover, we evaluated the appli...

The massive demand for batteries required by electromobility and stationary storage is pushing the research activity to evaluate electrochemical storage chemistries based on highly abundant elements, as alternatives to state-of-the-art Li-ion ones.[1] The use of more abundant and sustainable elements is expected to reduce the cost and the environme...

A cost-effective and reliable technology allowing extreme miniaturization of batteries into glass chips and electronic packages has been developed, employing a dispense-print process for battery electrodes and liquid electrolyte. Lithium-ion micro-batteries (active area 6 × 8 mm², 0.15–0.3 mAh) with interdigitated electrodes were fabricated, tested...

Organic cations are essential components of locally concentrated ionic liquid electrolytes (LCILEs), but receive little attention. Herein, we demonstrate their significant influence on the electrochemical performance of lithium metal batteries via a comparison study of two LCILEs employing either 1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium cation (Pyr14⁺) or 1-e...

Herein we investigate the use of a gel polymer electrolyte (GPE) comprising polyacrylonitrile and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride : aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) ionic liquid in aluminum batteries. The investigated GPE has been characterized in terms of conduction properties. The obtained ionic conductivity values are suitable for batter...

FSI⁻‐based ionic liquids (ILs) are promising electrolyte candidates for long‐life and safe lithium metal batteries (LMBs). However, their practical application is hindered by sluggish Li⁺ transport at room temperature. Herein, it is shown that additions of bis(2,2,2‐trifluoroethyl) ether (BTFE) to LiFSI‐Pyr14FSI ILs can effectively mitigate this sh...

This chapter analyzes state-of-the-art and progresses on nanomaterials’ utilization for multivalent-ion (e.g., Mg, Ca, Zn, Al) battery applications. The work comprises four sections, namely carbon-based, metal-based, metal oxide-based, and metal sulfide-based nanomaterials. These four classes of materials are evaluated in terms of structure, morpho...

Herein, we report a comparison of aluminum graphite dual‐ion cells (AGDICs) electrochemical characteristics employing the conventional 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride:aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl : AlCl3) electrolyte and two popular deep eutectic solvents (DESs), namely urea : AlCl3 and acetamide:AlCl3. The three electrolytes′ characteristics...

V2O5, one of the earliest intercalation-type cathode materials investigated as a Li+ host, is characterized by an extremely high theoretical capacity (441 mAh g–1). However, the fast capacity fading upon cycling in conventional carbonate-based electrolytes is an unresolved issue. Herein, we show that using a LiTFSI/tetraglyme (1:1 in mole ratio) el...

Vanadium oxides have been recognized to be among the most promising positive electrode materials for aqueous zinc metal batteries (AZMBs). However, their underlying intercalation mechanisms are still vigorously debated. To shed light on the intercalation mechanisms, high-performance δ-V2O5 is investigated as a model compound. Its structural and ele...

There is growing interest in the rational design of electrolytes for multivalent-ion batteries by tuning the molecular-level interactions of solvate species present in the electrolytes. Herein, we report our effort to control Ca-ion speciation in ionic liquid (IL) based electrolytes through the design of alkoxy-functionalized cations. Quantitative...

For sodium (Na)‐rechargeable batteries to compete, and go beyond the currently prevailing Li‐ion technologies, mastering the chemistry and accompanying phenomena is of supreme importance. Among the crucial components of the battery system, the electrolyte, which bridges the highly polarized positive and negative electrode materials, is arguably the...

The growing needs for electrochemical storage systems are pushing the research community to explore alternatives to Li-ion technology. Ca-based chemistry is attracting more and more attention and expectation. However, the unsuitability of Ca metal as counter and reference electrodes limits the research activity on the topic. Herein we propose a sim...

The Cover Feature shows a battery cell consisting of the bilayered‐V2O5 cathode, potassium metal anode, and highly concentrated KTFSI0.45:glyme electrolyte. Because of the low fraction of free glyme molecules in the highly concentrated electrolyte, the anodic decomposition of electrolyte itself and the dissolution (corrosion) of the Al current coll...

Highly concentrated glyme‐based electrolytes are friendly to a series of negative electrodes for potassium‐based batteries, including potassium metal. However, their compatibility with positive electrodes has been rarely explored. In this work, the influence of the molar fraction of potassium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide dissolved in glyme on...

Enhanced solid-state ionic diffusion for high-power Na-ion and K-ion hybrid capacitors (SIHCs and PIHCs) is usually attained via tailoring anode materials to the nanoscale, which inevitably requires costly preactivation processes for practical applications. As an alternative to nanoscaling, herein, we propose SIHC and PIHC prototypes exploiting mic...

Herein we report on a detailed investigation of the irreversible capacity in the first cycle of pyrolytic graphite electrodes in aluminum batteries employing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride:aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) as electrolyte. The reaction mechanism, involving the intercalation of AlCl4 in graphite, has been fully characterized...

This work presents an enhanced hydrometallurgical process for recycling lithium ion batteries. First, end-of-life batteries were processed in a physical pre-treatment plant to obtain a representative electrode material. The resulting leachate was purified forth by iron-precipitation, liquid–liquid extractions, and an innovative Li–Na separation, in...

Sulfurized polyacrylonitrile (SPAN) is the most promising cathode for next-generation lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries due to the much improved stability. However, the molecular structure and reaction mechanism have not yet been fully understood. Herein, we present a new take on the structure and mechanism to interpret the electrochemical behaviors....

Separators and electrolytes provide electronic blockage and ion permeability between the electrodes in electrochemical cells. Nowadays, their performance and cost is often even more crucial to the commercial use of common and future electrochemical cells than the chosen electrode materials. Hence, at the present, many efforts are directed towards f...

Herein we report on a detailed investigation of the irreversible capacity of the first cycle of pyrolytic graphite electrodes in aluminum batteries employing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride: aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) as electrolyte. The reaction mechanism, involving the intercalation of AlCl4- in graphite, has been fully characterize...

A lithium-oxygen battery based on DEMETFSI-LiTFSI ionic liquid electrolyte and new configuration of electrode materials has remarkably low OER average potential. The employment of a lithium-tin alloyed anode, and a self-standing carbon composite as the cathode support, leads to a full Li-ion oxygen cell showing extremely limited polarization, and r...

In this work we report an efficient lithium-ion battery using enhanced sulfur-based cathode and silicon oxide-based anode as novel energy-storage system. The sulfur-carbon composite, exploiting graphene carbon with 3D array (3DG-S), is synthesized by reduction step and microwave-assisted solvothermal technique and fully characterized in terms of st...

We report herein cathode configurations alternative to the most diffused ones for application in lithium-oxygen batteries using an ionic liquid-based electrolyte. The electrodes employ high surface area conductive carbon as the reaction host and polytetrafluoroethylene as the binding agent to enhance ORR/OER reversibility. Roll-pressed, self-standi...

The room temperature molten salt mixture of N,N-diethyl-N-(2-methoxyethyl)-N-methylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide (DEMETFSI) and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) salt is herein reported as electrolyte for application in lithium oxygen batteries. The DEMETFSI-LITFSI solution is studied in terms of ionic conductivity,...

Herein we report a novel synthetic procedure for the preparation of a SiOx-based nano-composite involving gelification of resorcinol-formaldehyde and tetraethyl orthosilicate. The composite is characterized as anode material in lithium-ion battery. The micrometric, amorphous material has a characteristic nanostructured configuration and shows an el...

A lithium-air battery is provided which includes a gas diffusion layer that is at least partially filled with air, having an electrically conducting material as a cathode, an at least partially electrolyte-impregnated filter having an electronically non-conducting material as a separator, and an anode having a lithium metal, a lithium-metal alloy o...

Herein we report a novel study on the reaction mechanism of non-aqueous aluminum/graphite cell chemistry employing 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride: aluminum trichloride (EMIMCl:AlCl3) as electrolyte. This work highlights new insights into the reversibility of the anion intercalation chemistry besides confirming its outstanding cycle life excee...

Advanced ionic liquid-based electrolytes are herein characterized for application in high performance lithium-ion batteries. The electrolytes based on either N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (Pyr14TFSI), N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(fluoro-sulfonyl)imide (Pyr14FSI), N-methoxy-ethyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trif...

A critical overview of the latest developments in the aluminum battery technologies is reported. The substitution of lithium with alternative metal anodes characterized by lower cost and higher abundance is nowadays one of the most widely explored paths to reduce the cost of electrochemical storage systems and enable long-term sustainability. Alumi...

The need of sustainable and efficient energy storage devices is an urgent need of modern society. The renewable energy production is characterized by an intermittent power output, and needs, for large scale applications, an improvement on the capability of energy storage (currently less than 1% of the energy production can be stored) ¹ . The develo...

In this paper,w ereport an advanced long-life lithium ion battery,e mploying aP yr 14 TFSI-LiTFSI non-flammable ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte, an anostructured tin carbon (Sn-C) nanocomposite anode,a nd al ayered LiNi 1/3 Co 1/3 Mn 1/3 O 2 (NMC) cathode. The IL-based electrolyte is characterized in terms of conductivity and viscosity at varioust em...

In this paper, we report an advanced long-life lithium ion battery, employing a Pyr14TFSI-LiTFSI non-flammable ionic liquid (IL) electrolyte, a nanostructured tin carbon (Sn-C) nanocomposite anode, and a layered LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NMC) cathode. The IL-based electrolyte is characterized in terms of conductivity and viscosity at various temperature...

A novel lithium-ion/oxygen battery employing Pyr14TFSI-LiTFSI as electrolyte and nanostructured Sn-C as anode is reported. The remarkable energy content of the oxygen cathode, the replacement of the lithium metal anode by a nanostructured stable alloying composite, and the concomitant utilization of non-flammable ionic liquid-based electrolyte resu...

Herein we report the characteristics of a lithium-oxygen battery using a solid polymer membrane as the electrolyte separator. The polymer electrolyte, fully characterized in terms of electrochemical properties, shows suitable conductivity at room temperature allowing the reversible cycling of the Li-O2 battery with a specific capacity as high as 25...

The replacement of the combustion-engine by sustainable electric or hybrid vehicles, may effectively limit environmental issues such as the global warming greenhouse-gas emission and pollution [1-2]. Lithium-ion battery represents the most promising candidate due to its high energy density, conventionally of about 180 Wh kg ⁻¹ that may assure a dri...

Batteries based on alkali-ions, such as lithium, sodium and potassium are considered the energy storage systems of choice for the next generation applications, such as electrified mobility and supply for renewable energy storage [1]. These systems are, in principle, light, efficient and potentially capable to meet several of the targets characteriz...

Batteries based on alkali-ions, such as lithium, sodium and potassium are considered the energy storage systems of choice for the next generation applications, such as electrified mobility and supply for renewable energy storage [1]. These systems are, in principle, light, efficient and potentially capable to meet several of the targets characteriz...

In this paper, we propose a new electrolyte formed by dissolving lithium-bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)-imide (LiTFSI) salt in a long chain glyme, i.e. poly(ethylene glycol)500-dimethylether (PEG500DME) mixed with methyl butyl pyrrolidinium-bis-(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)-imide (Pyr14TFSI) ionic liquid. The electrolyte composition ensures both very...

Titanium dioxide ceramic functionalized with silane organic group is used here to improve polyethylene oxide electrolyte properties. The results demonstrate the effective role of the silane coating in enhancing the polymer–ceramic interactions and, consequently, the polymer electrolyte properties for application in lithium polymer battery. The cera...

An advanced lithium ion battery using nanostructured tin–carbon lithium alloying anode and high voltage LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 spinel-type cathode is studied, with particular focus to the low temperature range. The stable behavior of the battery is assured by the use of an electrolyte media based on a LiPF6 salt dissolved in EC-DEC-DMC, i.e. a mixture part...

A novel lithium-oxygen battery exploiting a PYR14TFSI-LiTFSI ionic liquid as the electrolyte medium is reported. The Li/PYR14TFSI-LiTFSI/O2 battery was fully characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, capacity-limited cycling, field emission scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy, and x-ray phot...

In this paper we report a new, high performance lithium-ion battery comprising a nanostructured Sn-C anode and Li[Li0.2Ni0.4/3Co0.4/3Mn1.6/3]O2 (lithium-rich) cathode. This battery shows highly promising long-term cycling stability for up to 500 cycles, excellent rate capability, and practical energy density, which is expected to be as high as 220...

Electrification has been a major focus of BMW and large efforts have been initiated in order to investigate technologies of high potential to be integrated in future electric vehicles. Metal-air and particularly lithium-air batteries [1] are one of the possible solutions that may substantially enhance the electric drive range. The main challenges i...

Due to its high energy density, largely exceeding that of conventional lithium-ion batteries,[1–2] the Li/O 2 battery is presently considered as a very promising energy storage system. However, the practical development of this battery is still hindered by several issues, such as: 1) the limited cycle number, affecting its life; 2) the high charge–...

In this paper we report a comparative study of the electrochemical properties of a lithium–oxygen cell using a tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME)-based electrolyte solution with four different lithium salts, namely, lithium-bis-(trifluormethanesulfonyl)-imide, LiN(SO2CF3)2, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, LiCF3SO3, lithium perchlorate,...