Understanding the Reactive Evolution of Ion-Battery Interfaces through a Versatile Single-Site Ionic Interrogation and Imaging Toolset

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This project is funded by the Chemical Imaging Program of the Chemistry Division. Professor Joaquin Rodriguez Lopez of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is developing new tools and techniques for imaging chemical reactions occurring on energy-dense battery electrodes with the intention of improving their performance and safety. To meet the challenge of exploring complex reactions on battery interfaces, the project utilizes a powerful approach to independently address redox and ionic reactivity. Advanced concepts on battery materials are fully integrated into an educational and outreach plan that introduces the local undergraduate and K-12 Hispanic population to learning opportunities in energy science. The results of this project inform guidelines for designing better batteries and respond to the NSF?s mission of serving the national interest by advancing the progress of energy sciences and by allowing the USA to remain at the forefront of battery technologies. This project focuses on elucidating the early signs, evolution, and consequences of uneven chemical reactivity on carbon and silicon battery interfaces as these strongly impact cycling performance, materials utilization, and risk of catastrophic failure. In situ methods for the localized measurement of ion insertion reactions and of interfacial redox reactivity are being developed. Correlating these two aspects helps to identify and address the factors that lead to battery underperformance at the level of single sites and nanostructures. An educational and outreach plan developed by Prof. Rodriguez Lopez takes each contribution towards the research goals as a teaching and learning opportunity. Undergraduate students participate in the development of demonstration kits and computational tools related to electrochemical energy that are delivered to local high school and to K-12 Hispanic students through collaborations with teacher and student organizations. This project has a broad societal impact as it addresses the discovery of phenomena that lead to real-world performance concerns on everyday energy technologies and involves the future workforce in the solution of these energy-related challenges.