Group for Applied Materials and Electrochemistry

Specific mission

The Group for Applied Materials and Electrochemistry (GAME) is a section of CHENERGY at the Department of Applied Science and Technology (DISAT) of the Politecnico di Torino. The specific mission of GAME Lab is the development and thorough characterization of innovative electrochemical energy conversion and storage systems, which are nowadays fundamental to exploit the full potential of future technologies requiring high performance, such as smart electronics, storage from renewables and electric transportation. The interests and skills of GAME Lab include the development of environmentally friendly materials (nanostructured electrodes and safe polymer electrolytes) and innovative technologies for high-performance, lightweight and low cost devices, such as lithium- and sodium-based secondary batteries, lithium-sulfur cells, next-generation photovoltaic devices (dye sensitized solar cells - DSSC and perovskite solar cells) and photoelectrochromic devices.

Main research topics

  • Synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials (e.g., oxides, phosphates, carbonaceous materials by pyrolysis of wastes of food/paper industry, graphene and next-generation 2D materials, transition metal oxides) for electrochemical energy storage devices, such as high energy and/or power density lithium-ion batteries and post-lithium batteries, such as sodium-ion, aluminum and lithium-sulfur cells.
  • Development and characterization of innovative polymer electrolytes having high ionic conductivity and electrochemical stability, enhanced safety and high mechanical properties for electrochemical energy storage devices, such as lithium-ion and/or lithium metal batteries and post-lithium technologies, such as sodium-ion, aluminum and lithium-sulfur cells.
  • Use of natural fibers as nanostructured electrode binder and/or additive in polymer electrolytes for the development of environmentally friendly and recyclable energy storage and conversion devices.
  • Development of innovative materials specifically devoted to the long-term stabilization and reduction of the manufacturing cost of third generation photovoltaic devices (dye-sensitized and perovskite solar cells).
  • Development of polymers and hybrid organic-inorganic materials for frontier photovoltaic applications: aqueous solar cells, smart photoelectrochromic windows and floating photovoltaic systems for offshore installations.
  • Assembly in dry-room and/or dry glove-box for energy storage and conversion devices on a laboratory scale and their electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic cycling and impedance spectroscopy.

Main partnerships

GAME collaborations at the Politecnico di Torino:

  • LaTEST (Laboratory for Theoretical and Experimental Superconducting Tunnelling)  DISAT
  • SIMTI (Materials Science and Engineering for Innovative Technologies) – DISAT
  • MPMNT (Materials and Processes for Micro & Nano Technologies Team) – DISAT
  • MOG (Microwaves and Optoelectronics Group) - DET
  • SMALL (multi-Scale ModeLing Laboratory) – DENERG
  • Active member of the interdepartmental research laboratory GRAPHENE @ PoliTO
  • Active member of the interdepartmental research laboratory ENERGY CENTER @ PoliTO

GAME collaborations with italian universities and research centers, mainly:

  • Prof. Guido Saracco - IIT – Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia - Torino
  • Proff. C. Barolo, G. Viscardi e S. Bordiga - University of Torino 
  • Prof. Leonardo Marchese - University of Eastern Piedmont “Amedeo Avogadro” 
  • Proff. S. Turri e G. Griffini  - Politecnico di Milano
  • Prof. Michele Pavone  - University of Naples“Federico II”
  • Prof. Piercarlo Mustarelli  - University of Pavia
  • Prof. F.M. Frattale Mascioli e M.A. Navarra University of Rome “La Sapienza”
  • Prof. Francesco Ricci - University of Rome “Tor Vergata”
  • Dr. P.P. Prosini e M. Moreno - ENEA Casaccia

GAME actively collaborates and/or participates in research projects with high-level international, both European and extra European, academic/research centers. In particular:

  • Dr. R. Salòt e Dr. S. Franger - CEA-Leti e CEA-Liten, Commisariat Energie Atomique, Grenoble FR
  • Dr. D. Beneventi e Dr. D. Chaussy - INPG, Grenoble Institute of Technology, Grenoble FR
  • Prof. A. Tuel - Institut de recherches sur la catalyse et l'environnement, IRCELYON, Lyon, FR
  • Prof. D. Mecerreyes - Institute for Polymer Materials of the University of the Basque Country, POLYMAT, SP
  • Prof. J. Maier e Dr. J. Popovic  - Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Munchen, DE
  • Prof. M. Grätzel e Prof. A. Hagfeldt  - EPFL - École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, SUI
  • Prof. D. Brandell e Prof. K. Edstrom  - University of Uppsala, SVE
  • Prof. A. Cornell  - KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Svezia
  • Prof. S. Passerini  - Helmholtz Institute Ulm - Battery Research Center, KIT, DE
  • Prof. J.L. Tirado  - University of Córdoba, ES
  • Dr. P.P. Pescarmona (University of Groningen, NE
  • Dr. A.S. Shaplov  - INEOS, RUS
  • Dr. G. Leftheriotis  - University of Patras, GR
  • Dr. M. Hayes and Dr. G. Fagas  - Tyndall National Institute, National University of Ireland, IR
  • Prof. F. Kleitz  - Université Laval, Québec, CAN
  • Dr. A.M. Stephan  - Central Electrochemical Research Institute, CECRI, India
  • Prof. M. Dinca - MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
  • Dr. Iratxe De Meatza  - CIDETEC, ES
  • Prof. A. Arques Sanz  - Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, ES
  • Prof. A. Ahmad e Dr. M.S. Su’ait  - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, MY
  • TOYOTA Motor Europe  - Bruxelles, BE
  • Toyota Tech. Institute - Japan
  • Solvay Specialty Polymers S.p.A.
  • Lithops-FAAM (SERI Group SpA, http://www.serispa.it/)

Projects and publications

Reference laboratories

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PhD, Post-docs and Grant researchers