Objectives:

Development of Hydride Ion Conductors

• Conductor Synthesis: To develop a series of hydride ion conductors capable of operating across various temperature ranges and meeting the demands of diverse application scenarios.

• Performance Improvement: To develop new hydride ion conductors with high ionic conductivity, negligible electronic conductivity, and high thermal and electrochemical stability.

• Mechanism Study: To study the relationship between compositions, structures, and properties of hydride ion conductors.

Rechargeable Hydride Ion Batteries

• Battery System Exploration: To identify and explore novel electrode materials for use in hydride ion batteries.

• Battery Manufacturing Improvement: To develop new manufacturing methods for hydride ion batteries, aiming to achieve high capacities and excellent cyclic stability.

Electrochemical Conversion Reactions

• To develop new electrochemical conversion systems based on hydride ion conduction, focusing on exploring hydrogen-involved reactions under mild conditions.

Why?

• Development of Hydride Ion Conductors: Current limitations such as low ionic conductivity, significant electronic conductivity, poor thermal and electrochemical stability, and insufficient material diversity hinder the practical application of hydride ion conductors.

• Rechargeable Hydride Ion Batteries: Lithium-ion batteries face challenges like dendrite formation and resource scarcity, which can be mitigated by hydride ion batteries.

• Electrochemical Conversion Reactions: Many hydrogen-involved reactions require harsh conditions and consume substantial energy. Hydride ions, composed of one hydrogen atom and two electrons, offer unique advantages in these reactions, particularly in reducing N₂ and CO₂ under milder conditions.

Challenges:

• Development of Hydride Ion Conductors: Achieving simultaneous fast hydride ion diffusion, negligible electron conduction, high thermal and electrochemical stability, and compatibility with electrodes is challenging.

• Rechargeable Hydride Ion Batteries: Exploring new electrode materials with high capacities, electrolyte compatibility, and good reversibility, along with developing innovative manufacturing methods, remains a critical challenge.

• Electrochemical Conversion Reactions: Constructing new electrochemical reaction systems that enable various hydrogen-involved reactions under mild conditions is difficult.

Vision：

• Development of Hydride Ion Conductors: To create new hydride ion conductors with outstanding overall performance, suitable for both battery applications and electrochemical reactions.

• Rechargeable Hydride Ion Batteries: To pioneer a new class of battery systems fundamentally different from current technologies, addressing safety and resource issues.

• Electrochemical Conversion Reactions: To realize hydrogen-involved reactions under mild conditions using hydride-ion-conducting systems.

Papers

• Nature, 2025, 646, 338–342.

• Nature, 2023, 616, 73–76.

• Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2024, e202417610.

• Journal of Energy Chemistry, 2024, 95, 40–445.

Reviews and perspectives

• The Innovation Materials, 2023, 1, 100006.

• Trends in Chemistry, 2022, 4, 935-947.