AUS Takes The Lead In Sustainable Energy Solutions

Designing Ionic Liquids For Sustainable Energy Storage

Ionic liquids are salts that can melt at room temperature and turn into liquid. They can be incorporated into buildings, industrial facilities, electronic devices, and clothing to help control temperature, store energy, and reduce energy needs.

Dr. Paul Nancarrow, Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering, said, "Due to environmental concerns, the world is shifting from fossil fuels towards more renewable energy sources. Unlike fossil fuels, which can be used to produce energy when required, solar and wind energy has a variable supply, which makes energy storage a critical component in the transition towards clean energy.

"The current systems have many problems that limit their applications, including corrosion, loss of efficiency over time, loss by evaporation, degradation, and large thermal expansion.

"What we are working on is designing ionic liquids with optimal properties for various applications to overcome these issues and provide an additional energy storage solution to reduce energy consumption and complement renewable energy production."

The team is designing ionic liquids as phase-change materials that absorb and store energy when they melt at a particular temperature matched to the application and release the energy again when the temperature drops and they cool and solidify.

The optimised ionic liquid will be incorporated into solar energy systems to analyse the improvement in efficiency that can be achieved.

With sustainability as a main area of focus in its academic research and operations, AUS has earned a reputation as one of the region’s most sustainable universities.