Australian “indoor PV” and graphite-boosted EV battery technologies win research grants

Australian graphite-based battery and indoor perovskite solar panels are two of the four recipients of the latest round of Advance Queensland research grants. 

The two projects secured a total of $480,000 in grant money, for University of Queensland researchers Dr Tong’en Lin and Dr Miaoqiang Lyu.

The Industry Research Fellowship round is an attempt to link academic research with commercial opportunities. 

Battery specialist Lin will use his $240,000 to develop graphite materials for fast-charging, long endurance lithium ion batteries. 

“Urgent technological advances are required to improve fast-charging capabilities and extend the lifespan of graphite anodes,” Lin said in a statement. 

“My project aims to develop high-performance graphite anode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries, something that will not only complement the local battery value chain in Queensland and Australia, but also provide new profitable product lines for Graphinex.”

Graphite anodes are important parts of a lithium-ion battery. The structured graphite layers allow lithium ions to intercalate, or insert themselves, onto the anode in an organised way, allowing for greater charging-discharging capacity. 

But they also come with problems, including difficulties in getting the raw material pure enough and the risk of thermal runaway if a battery malfunctions or is punctured. 

Lin’s most recent work on graphite was a paper in 2023 looking at how to stabilise zinc-graphite battery cells, by inserting a layer between the cathode and electrolyte.

Lin is linked to Graphinex, a graphite miner and anode manufacturing aspirant that earlier this year saw Japanese resources and energy business Idemitsu Kosan buy a “significant stake” in the business. 

But his industry connections also include Baosteel Australian, Printed Energy, Pure Battery Technology, VSPC Ltd, and Energy Storage Industries – Asia Pacific.

The other $240,000 is for perovskite photovoltaic prototypes for use indoors that can harvest artificial light to provide cheap, efficient power for autonomous internet-of-things (IoT) devices. The funding is for a partnership with Reid Print Technologie.

“As most IoT devices operate through wireless networks, off-the-grid portable power sources are the essential integration component,” says Lyu.

“Indoor photovoltaics that can directly harvest ambient and artificial light for generating electricity have been employed as promising portable power sources for IoT and electronic devices.”

Lyu’s current research has been into low-toxicity metal halide perovskites, and the Advanced Queensland project will marry that with his previous experience in making flexible thin-film batteries for IOT devices. 

Perovskite solar has been the next big thing in solar for decades, but companies and researchers are still keen to find not only the perfect recipe for a commercially viable cell but also the right use case. 

The idea of using non-solar light to power batteries and devices though is not completely out of science fiction. 

A New South Wales (NSW) team won the Eureka Prize, the Oscars of Australian science, for its work on ‘dark solar’. Their concept is to generate energy from light wavelengths unable to be seen by the human eye, for example wavelengths created by heat – the kind seen on night vision goggles.