Research Interests
Nanostructured materials for electrochemical energy systems
The electrochemical energy laboratory is set up to design and develop high-performance materials for sustainable energy applications (mainly electrochemical systems such as batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, electrochromic windows, and photoelectrochemical devices). In this respect, our research covers a broad range of activities: new materials design and development, chemical synthesis, materials characterization, property measurements, fabrication of prototype devices and their evaluation, and a fundamental understanding of structure-property-performance relationships of materials. Nanostructured materials including metal oxides and metal chalcogenides are being investigated.
Selected Publications
- “In Situ Engineering of the Electrode-Electrolyte Interface for Stabilized Overlithiated Cathodes,” T. Evans, et al. Advanced Materials, 29, 1604549 (2017).
- “Optimized Silicon Electrode Architecture, Interface, and Microgeometry for Next-Generation Lithium-Ion Batteries,” D. Molina Piper, et al. Advanced Materials, 28, 188 (2016).
- “Ultra-thin Solid-State Li-Ion Electrolyte Membrane Facilitated by a Self-Healing Polymer Matrix,” J. M. Whiteley, et al. Advanced Materials, 27, 6922 (2015).
- “Stable silicon-ionic liquid interface for next-generation lithium-ion batteries,” D. Molina Piper, et al.Nature communications,6,6230 (2015).
Selected Accomplishments
- 2010 COTLABS Governor’s Award for High-Impact Research (Research team for the development of electrochromic windows).
- 2009 R&D 100 Award, PowerPlane UX Microbattery – a solid-state thin-film battery.
- Invited speaker in the National Academy of Engineering 2008 Japan-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, Kobe, Japan Nov 17-19, 2008.
- “Thin film buried anode battery,” US patent (7,632,602).
- “Nano-composite Materials,” US patent (7,722,966).
- “H2O doped WO3, ultraTfast, high-sensitivity hydrogen sensors,” US patent (7,910,373).
- “Method and Pd/V2O5 Device for H2 Detection,” US patent (8,084,265).