Energy Storage Technologies

Advancing sustainable and high-performance energy storage systems is essential for powering electric vehicles, portable electronics, and renewable energy systems critical for a carbon-neutral future.

Our lab focuses on innovative energy storage solutions for sodium and lithium systems, targeting enhanced battery performance and sustainability.

Metal Batteries

Fabricating Na/Li metal batteries with zero excess metal significantly improves energy density. However, overcoming challenges like non-uniform metal deposition is critical. We are addressing this by:

• Stabilizing current collectors using anti-perovskite materials to enhance sodium-ion kinetics and achieve uniform deposition.
• Modifying current collectors through patterning and coating with lithio- or sodiophilic materials for dense and reversible metal deposition.

Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs)

We are advancing sodium-ion battery technology by exploring innovative anode and cathode materials to enhance cycling stability and efficiency. Our efforts include:

• Developing low-surface-area, high-coulombic-efficiency hard-carbon anodes derived from diverse carbon sources.
• Addressing challenges such as irreversible phase transitions and cation migration in manganese oxide-based cathodes through facet engineering and novel designs.

 Solid-State Metal Batteries

Solid-state metal batteries represent the future of battery technology, offering improved safety and energy density. However, challenges remain in integrating solid electrolytes with metal electrodes. Our research focuses on:

• Investigating sulfide, garnet, and NASICON-based electrolytes, leveraging sintering aids to enhance densification and interface stability.
• Studying metal ion mobility through interfaces and the evolution of these interfaces during cycling.

Dual-Ion Batteries (DIBs)

Graphite-graphite dual-ion batteries offer high operating voltage and cost-effectiveness by eliminating expensive metal electrodes. This innovative battery architecture features:

• Anions intercalating into the graphite cathode and lithium ions into the graphite anode during charging, with de-intercalation during discharge.
  To enhance DIB performance, we employ machine learning to:
• Optimize cell performance and predict the state of health (SOH).
• Use fabrication parameters such as mass loading, electrolyte volume, and cycle number as input variables to model discharge capacity accurately.

Recycling Lithium-Ion Batteries

Mitigating battery waste is as vital as developing new materials. We are exploring sustainable methods to repurpose spent lithium-ion batteries, particularly for use in dual-ion and lithium-ion batteries:

• Developing microwave-assisted processes to convert spent cathodes into reusable materials, such as Co₃O₄ anodes.