High energy long life rechargeable battery is considered as the key enabling technology for deep de-carbonization. Energy storage in the electrochemical form is attractive because of its high efficiency and fast response time. Besides the technological importance, electrochemical devices also provide a unique platform for fundamental and applied materials science & research since ion movement is often accompanied by inherent complex phenomena related to phase changes, electronic structure changes and defect generation. Synchrotron x-ray characterization plays critical role in understanding the ion transport, the dynamic structural changes and the corresponding degradations in high energy rechargeable batteries.

In this talk, Professor Meng will discuss a few new perspectives for energy storage materials including new superionic conductors, new intercalation compounds and their interfacial engineering. With recent advances in photon and electron characterization tools and computational methods, Professor Meng is able to explore ionic mobility, charge transfer and phase transformations in electrode and electrolyte materials in operando in materials beyond simple intercalation. Most recently Professor Meng established ESRA, Energy Innovation Hub funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) focused on energy storage beyond lithium ion. ESRA aims to enable transformative discoveries in materials chemistry, gain a fundamental understanding of electrochemical phenomena at the atomic scale, lay the scientific foundations for breakthroughs in energy storage technologies, and train the next-generation battery workforce to ensure U.S. scientific and economic leadership.

Speaker
Y. Shirley Meng, Ph.D.
Founding Faculty Director, Energy Technology Initiative, Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG), The University of Chicago
Director, Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA)
Chief Scientist, Argonne National Laboratory

In-person event
Program
11:45 am - 12:00 noon | Registration
12:00 noon - 12:45 pm | Talk
12:45 pm - 01:00 pm | Q&A session
01:00 pm | Event ends

*Kindly note that no parking spaces are available on campus.

Global Race for A Better Battery