CAREER: Scalable Electrochemical Exfoliation and Functionalization of Two-Dimensional Atomic Layer Materials for Energy Storage

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Two-dimensional atomic layer materials have the potential to revolutionize energy storage devices, including rechargeable batteries, by improving energy and power performances. Currently, available manufacturing processes for two-dimensional materials require high temperatures or complex chemical treatment, which limits their large-scale production. This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award investigates scalable electrochemical exfoliation and functionalization of two-dimensional materials with the aim of controlling their structures and properties for high-performance energy storage devices. Two-dimensional materials come in many compositions and are increasingly utilized in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, smart grids, and renewable energy systems. The capability to produce high quality two-dimensional materials contributes significantly to the nation's economy and advances prosperity and welfare. The award aligns well with NSF's Quantum Leap effort because two-dimensional materials with controlled film thickness and point defects are candidate materials for quantum devices, including sensing, computing and communicating. This research is multidisciplinary, including manufacturing, electrochemistry and nanotechnology, and motivates students with diverse backgrounds to consider future careers in science and engineering. The project develops an energy education module in collaboration with high school teachers to teach energy storage mechanisms and calculation of energy and power densities tied with chemistry, physics, and math curricula. The energy education module can be tested and expanded over a broad range of underrepresented students through NSF INCLUDES program. The electrochemical manufacturing process has many advantages over conventional manufacturing techniques of fabricating two-dimensional (2D) atomic layer materials, including low-cost, simple operation, rapid production rate, and in-situ functionalization, by taking advantage of scalable and controllable nature of the electrochemical process. However, some scientific barriers, such as mechanistic understanding of electrochemical exfoliation and quantitative methods for controlling the structure and properties, need to be overcome in order to realize the full potential of electrochemical manufacturing of 2D materials. This project investigates comprehensive and general expansion, exfoliation and functionalization mechanisms during the manufacture of these materials in electrochemical processing, specifically, structural changes and gas formation as a function of applied potential. It evaluates properties of the electrochemical processed materials, and establishes processing parameter-structure-property relationships. The work can potentially transform the manufacturing process of 2D materials into a highly scalable and controllable process that can fabricate structure- and property-tuned 2D nanomaterials for specific target applications.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.