Interfacial Design of Electrochemical Systems

A key aspect needed to support the energy transition is energy storage.  Li-ion batteries are known to have the highest energy density per volume, making them the battery of choice for portable electronics and electric vehicles.  We use our expertise in colloidal processing and interfacial phenomena to design new electrochemical systems.     

Si-Polymer Composite Electrodes for Li-ion Batteries

There is considerable interest in developing stable high-capacity electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. Silicon is one of the most attractive candidates for anodes in lithium-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity for lithium.  We have designed a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid Si-anode that can be assembled into coordination and covalent networked structures.  Fundamental understanding of how interfacial interactions influence electrochemical performance will help design practical energy storage systems.  New composites include combining carbon nanotubes with silicon based electrodes to generate lightweight, high capacity batteries.

Electrochemical Reactors for Lithium Recovery

As the demand for lithium-ion batteries continues to rapidly increase, so does the need find sustainable methods to recover lithium. A critical challenge in developing lithium resources from geothermal brines is selectively extracting lithium from chemically similar cations like sodium. We are developing electrochemical reactors that leverage a selective membrane for direct and continuous extraction of high-purity LiOH from geothermal brine water without the need for downstream separation. This reactor design can also  be used to recover lithium from spent batteries.

Organic Electrochemical Transistors

We are currently studying functionalization strategies to modify polymer coatings on organic electrochemical transistors to create selective and sensitive sensors. These sensors can be adapted for many applications, including contaminants in the environment.