School of Chemistry Colloquium: Professor Guanjie He (UCL) -- RSC Harrison Meldola Memorial Prize Winner Cathode design for rechargeable aqueous Zn-ion batteries

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) are receiving increasing interest as next-generation energy storage solutions due to their inherent safety, environmental friendliness and low cost. However, the development of efficient cathode materials remains a key obstacle, limited by structural instability, sluggish ion transport and irreversible phase transitions, especially in manganese and vanadium-based systems. Improving both the ion transport kinetics and long-term durability of cathodes is therefore essential for enabling practical deployment of AZIBs.

In this presentation, Professor Guanjie He of UCL will introduce a proton-conductive manganese oxide (NiMn₃O₇*3H₂O) that utilises a Grotthuss-type mechanism to enable rapid hydrated proton transport. This is achieved through the synergistic effect of lattice water, oxygen vacancies and nickel doping, which facilitate dynamic proton hopping without disrupting the bulk framework. He will also summarise his group's other advances in cathode engineering, including hydrophobic interphase coatings to suppress vanadium dissolution, MXene-directed crystallisation of tunnel-type vanadates, and dual-ion co-intercalation strategies to activate high-capacity Mn redox processes. Together, these efforts offer insight into multifunctional cathode design for high-performance and long-life AZIBs.

This event is open to final year undergraduate project students, MSc students, PhD students, postdoctoral researchers and academic staff.