Understanding structural transformations of inorganic salt hydrates for thermochemical energy storage

Laboratoire Georges Friedel
(LGF) UMR5307 CNRS

Context: Thermochemical energy storage stores heat as chemical energy in reversible solid-gas reactions. Inorganic salt hydrates absorb heat on dehydration and release it on rehydration, which makes them candidate materials for heat storage and other solid-state technologies. Their cycling performance is governed by the crystal structures traversed between hydration states, which can differ markedly in unit-cell volume and symmetry.

Ex-situ characterization before and after reaction yields only the end members, not the transformation pathway. This internship will follow the transformation in situ to identify which phases form, in what sequence and with what kinetics, and to determine why rehydration can remain incomplete. SrBr₂ hydrates serve as a model system, and the approach extends to other salt hydrates and gas-solid reactions.

This project is primarily experimental and analytical. The candidate is expected to have skills in
materials characterization and solid-state chemistry. Prior experience with X-ray Diffraction is a plus
but not mandatory. Interested candidate should be enrolled in Master 2 and enrolled Final year of
Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, engineering or a related field. The work will be carried out
completely within the laboratory.