Atomically thin pristine germanane with diverse chemical functionalities for energy storage: sodium/lithium ion batteries

The use of novel two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials for energy storage and conversion applications has nowadays become a hot research topic in material science.

In particular, with the development of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage stations, the traditional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have encountered a plethora of challenges due to the huge demands of key markets (e.g. higher energy and power densities).

Accordingly, a suitable approach to address these issues is to achieve the development of new electrode materials and alternative batteries (sodium-ion batteries, SIBs).

In this context, one of the particularly promising candidate materials is functionalized germanane, which is expected to provide a high-capacity framework for sodium storage, since it possesses several attractive characteristics: to name a few, chemically and electronically active 2D structures, high mechanical flexibility, as well as fast electron mobility and conductivity.

With the help of characterization techniques like X-Ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, this project aims to explore the structural and morphological features of functionalized germanane.

The gained knowledge will extend our in depth understanding of the electrochemical activity of functionalized germanane.

Aiming to achieve the production of high-capacity electrodes for applications in SIBs, the functionalized germanane materials will be further modified by carbon coating and exfoliation steps.

The electrochemical performance of selected electrode materials will be evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic discharge/charge measurements.