Mainstreaming graphene in electrochemical energy storage devices: A Delphi-based adaptive priority-setting

Mainstreaming novel materials is essential to overcome crucial limitations of energy storage devices to address societal challenges and decarbonization efforts. However, mainstreaming requires enabling conditions that are influenced by complexities and tensions. Building on the concept of outcome-oriented scaling, this study explores how prioritization of interdependent drivers and barriers influences mainstreaming graphene in electrochemical energy storage devices. We capture the knowledge and perceptions of an expert panel through a Delphi survey combined with in-depth interviews. We find the ongoing prioritization trajectories to fail in setting interdependent drivers and barriers as a vision to achieve impact at scale, in creating opportunities to accelerate mainstreaming, and in addressing key sustainability pressures and reconfiguration barriers. Also, we find widespread consensus that urgent action is required to bend the prioritization trajectories in the right direction to achieve impact at scale. Mainstreaming graphene is likely to challenge, compete and disrupt incumbent systems instead of enabling a smooth transition.