The development of next-generation energy storage: an interview with Zaiping Guo

Energy storage systems have been attracting ever-increasing interest in recent decades, especially metal-ion batteries. As the predominant electrochemical energy storage technology, lithium-ion batteries still encounter critical challenges when deployed in various applications, especially for grid-scale energy storage, including inherent safety concerns, resource scarcity and high lifecycle costs across the production and recycling processes. These limitations significantly hinder their capacity to meet the exponentially growing demand for energy storage solutions. Consequently, there exists an urgent imperative to develop innovative energy storage systems that synergistically integrate enhanced safety profiles, cost-effectiveness and superior electrochemical performance. Such technological advancements are crucial for enabling next-generation energy storage and advancing global carbon neutrality objectives. How can we address existing issues and develop the post-lithium-ion-batteries for future society? NSR conducted an in-depth discussion with Prof. Zaiping Guo, who is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and an ARC Laureate Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide. Her pioneering work focuses on advanced electrode architectures and electrolyte engineering for various battery systems.