Research Motivation
Electrochemical technologies will play a pivotal role in the clean energy transition. As we shift towards greater renewable electricity generation, electrochemical technologies can leverage clean electricity to do useful chemistry. Batteries for electric vehicles is an example.
Every electrochemical system requires an electrolyte, which is typically composed of ions dissolved in liquid solvents. Electrolytes govern many of the key electrochemical processes, including ion transport, charge-transfer kinetics, and the side reactions that dictate the electrochemical stability. These processes will critically impact the device and system performance. Despite the importance of electrolytes, our molecular-level understanding of it remains limited.
In our group, we understand and design electrolytes and electrochemical systems for energy and sustainability. We develop and use advanced characterization tools to understand electrolytes at the molecular level. We use these fundamental insights to design new electrolytes for various applications. We also use machine learning approaches to understand and design electrolytes and electrochemical systems. Application areas include energy storage, CO2 capture and sustainable manufacturing.
Research Directions
Data-driven electrolyte design
The effects of electrolytes on electrochemical systems are often highly convoluted, especially with emerging complex electrolytes such as high-concentration electrolytes and high entropy electrolytes. We will use data-driven approaches such as machine learning, together with high-throughput experimentation, to accelerate electrolyte design. We will also use data-driven methods to deconvolute factors and unveil fundamental molecular insights about electrolytes and electrochemical systems.
Understanding electrolytes at the molecular level
Despite the importance of electrolytes, our molecular-level understanding of electrolytes remains poor. We will employ a suite of advanced techniques in spectroscopy, scattering and microscopy, complemented with simulation techniques, to unveil key fundamental insights about electrolytes. These insights will in turn help us design new high-performance electrolytes.
