Electro and Energy Materials

Developing reliable energy storage solutions is essential for a successful transition to renewable energy.

The Electro and Energy Materials research group based at Burwood is pioneering next-generation battery technologies in our state-of-the-art laboratories and the Battery Research and Innovation Hub. Their goal is to make energy cleaner, more efficient, and truly sustainable.

Diverse research talent for energy innovation

Our multidisciplinary team of researchers in chemistry, electrochemistry, modelling, device engineering and spectroscopy, are focussed on designing safer, high-performance electrolytes for a range of electrochemical devices. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, they are working to advance energy systems that are not only high-performing but also environmentally responsible.

Our research capabilities

Our key research strengths in energy technologies include:

Research into novel electrolytes.

Sustainable cooling.

Advance battery manufacturing.

Computational modelling.

Material and component characterisation.

Thermal diagnostic of batteries.

Design and discovery of new battery advances.

Advanced energy storage technologies

Our team leads global research in battery and electrochemical device innovation, with a focus on safer, high-performance electrolytes. We specialise in both liquid (ionic liquids, hybrids) and solid-state (plastic crystals, ion gels, polymeric) electrolytes, tailored for:

Lithium and sodium batteries: High energy density systems with improved cycle life and performance.

Metal-air batteries: Including sodium, magnesium, and zinc-air technologies, leveraging oxygen as an active material for sustainability.

Emerging technologies: Metal sulfur systems and sodium-ion battery electrodes from waste biomass.

What makes us different

World-class facilities and prototyping

Our Electro and Energy Materials researchers have direct access to the Battery Research and Innovation Hub in Burwood, the Institute’s world-class facility for battery design, fabrication and testing.

Advanced characterisation

Through the advanced Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) facility, researchers can apply NMR imaging to the study of electrochemical processes, such as corrosion and battery discharge with the potential to make ground-breaking advances in understanding of the molecular-level operation of these devices.

See how we work

Come inside Deakin Institute for Frontier Materials and meet Professor Jenny Pringle, who leads a research team that focuses on new ionic materials for energy technologies