Dr. Diogo M. F. Santos’ published paper:

“Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Dissymmetric Tetrathiafulvalene Derivatives for Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries”
by João F. G. Rodrigues, Isabel C. Santos, Sandra Rabaça and Diogo M. F. Santos
Batteries 2025, 11(3), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11030092
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/3/92

The following is a short interview with Dr. Diogo M. F. Santos:

1. Could you introduce yourself or your research group?
My name is Diogo M.F. Santos, and I am a principal researcher and invited Assistant Professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico of Universidade de Lisboa (Portugal). Our research group, GEECS: Group on Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, is part of the Center of Physics and Engineering of Advanced Materials (CeFEMA). We are developing electrode materials and separators for application in electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, including electrolyzers, fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors.

This work has been developed in the scope of the Ph.D. studies of my student João Rodrigues, who is producing organic electroactive materials for next-generation aqueous rechargeable batteries.

2. What was the biggest challenge you faced while writing this paper, and how did you overcome it?
This work’s biggest challenge was understanding the differences in electrochemical behavior between tetrathiafulvalene and its derivatives. By analyzing the reaction order for each peak and doing an in-depth literature search, we started understanding the reasoning behind these differences. Further studies will involve both experimental and computational methods.

3. What are the current challenges in the battery research field, and how can they be addressed?
In a broad sense, there is an urgent need to find alternatives to lithium-ion batteries to reduce the environmental impact of battery production and avoid future problems with lithium supply shortages.

In the specific case of small-molecule organic electrode materials, finding materials with good performance without requiring the addition of conductive additives continues to be a common problem. Additionally, cyclability problems hinder the ability of these organic electrode materials to be commercialized. These problems can only be addressed by continuing to synthesize and test new materials, building on the knowledge we have of rational design for organic materials for electrochemical applications.

4. What trends and technologies do you see shaping the future of battery technology?
Research on battery chemistries alternative to lithium-ion batteries, for example, sodium-ion, potassium-ion, or multivalent ions like zinc-ion, will continue to grow in prominence as these alternative chemistries could have a large impact in terms of battery cost and sustainability, and in some cases could even lead to higher energy density energy storage devices.

A shift to aqueous batteries is also possible, as several strategies to increase water’s electrochemical stability window and allow for higher energy density aqueous batteries are being refined.

5. What impact do you hope your research will have, and what key innovation do you see in your paper?
This research may contribute to the development of better energy storage devices, whether it be by making them cheaper, more environmentally friendly, safer, faster charging, or more energy dense. The main innovation in this work is the combination of the studied electrode materials and the used electrolyte. Derivatives of tetrathiafulvalene have been rarely studied in aqueous electrolytes for battery applications.