Characterization and Reporting Protocols for Structural Power Composites: A Perspective

Structural power composites, multifunctional materials that can withstand mechanical loads while storing/delivering electrical energy, are gaining significant interest. However, a consequence of melding disparate structural and electrochemical technologies is that there are no common characterization and reporting protocols, undermining the advancement of this emerging field. This Perspective paper sets out the challenges and resulting issues in the literature and recommends best practices and requirements for future protocols for reporting multifunctional performance. A key recommendation is that a “universal coupon” should be developed to be used for both mechanical and electrochemical characterization of cells, and hence credibly declare multifunctional performance. Ultimately, such a universal coupon can simultaneously characterize both functions, so as to glean electrochemical–mechanical coupling phenomena. This article recommends reporting guidelines so as to avoid the current ambiguities associated with normalization and permit robust comparison across the literature. The aspiration is that the guidelines and framework outlined in this paper lay the groundwork for formal standard methods to be developed and agreed upon. Establishing robust characterization and clearer reporting permits researchers and industry to take an informed view of the literature and provides a better grounding for the adoption of this technology, underpinning future industrialization of these emerging materials.