THE SEE GROUP

The battery technology that currently dominates rechargeable energy storage applications, especially in mobile applications, is the Li-ion battery. In conventional Li-ion batteries, Li-ions shuttle, or intercalate, into solid-state host lattices at two electrodes, an anode and cathode. Upon discharge, the removal of Li   from the anode is accompanied by oxidation of the host lattice to satisfy charge neutrality. The electrolyte separating the anode from the cathode is ionically conductive but electronically insulating forcing the freed electrons to conduct from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, thus providing electrical energy when the circuit is closed. The opposite process occurs at the cathode where Li   intercalation is accompanied by reduction of the host lattice. Although this process is very reversible, the capacity of Li-ion cells is inherently limited by the bulky host lattices required to support intercalation processes.

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Significant opportunities for new battery technologies lie in alternative chemistries that go beyond conventional intercalation mechanisms. We are interested in exploring next-generation electrochemical energy storage systems using a bottom-up approach. By first understanding the fundamental limitations and developing the structure-property relationships governing cell performance, we develop rules that inform the design of next-generation energy storage chemistries.