The goal of the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC), at the University of California San Diego Nanoengineering department and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, is to design and develop new functional nano-materials and nano-structures for advanced energy storage and conversion applications.
(Photo by John Zich) The boom in phones, laptops and other personal devices over the last few decades has been made possible by the lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery, but as climate change demands more powerful batteries for electric vehicles and grid-scale renewable storage, lithium-ion technology might not be enough.
New research from the lab of Asst. Prof. Chibueze Amanchukwu outlines a way to use solvent-free inorganic molten salts to create energy-dense, safe batteries, opening new possibilities for EVs and grid scale renewable energy storage. (Photo by John Zich)
Lithium extraction is also environmentally damaging, whether from the industrial acids used to break down mining ore or the more common brine extraction that pumps massive amounts of water to the surface to dry. Sodium, common in ocean water and soda ash mining, is an inherently more environmentally friendly battery material.
Conventional lithium-metal batteries rely on an electrolyte made by dissolving lithium salt in a solvent. Those volatile, flammable solvents – not the salt itself – caused those safety concerns. To combat this, researchers have tried different solvents or phases or they tinkered with the salt concentration.
“We have developed a non-flammable, non-volatile system that is safe and can actually improve energy densities by 2x (compared to Li-ion),” Amanchukwu said. Conventional lithium-metal batteries rely on an electrolyte made by dissolving lithium salt in a solvent.
UChicago Pritzker Molecular Engineering Prof. Y. Shirley Meng''s Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion has created the world''s first anode-free sodium solid-state battery.. With this research, the LESC – a …
The paper, published today in Nature Energy, demonstrates a new sodium battery architecture with stable cycling for several hundred cycles. By removing the anode and using inexpensive, abundant sodium instead of …
The materials engineer spent the first decade of her career developing lithium-ion batteries, but it became clear to her that they wouldn''t be the silver bullet for energy …
Equipped with the resources and collaborators of both Argonne and UChicago, Meng hopes to tackle climate change with new energy storage options. Lithium, for example, …
Meng''s research focuses primarily on energy storage materials and systems – including rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and trucks, power sources for Internet of Things …
A battery pack with a layered Ni-rich Li(Ni x Co y Mn z)O 2 (x ≥ 0.8, NMC) cathode enables a driving range of over 600 km with reduced cost [1], making electric vehicles …
Air Energy is addressing significant challenges posed by traditional lithium …
Electric cars that drive for 500 miles on a six-minute charge. Neighborhoods where battery storage systems are as ubiquitous as refrigerators. A combination of lithium …
Dr. Shirley Meng and her team of material engineers are racing to create affordable and efficient batteries that can store solar and wind energy. The cells they''re …
Battery is the core component of the electrochemical energy storage system for EVs [4]. The lithium ion battery, with high energy density and extended cycle life, is the most …
Air Energy is addressing significant challenges posed by traditional lithium-ion batteries, including low energy density, high weight, and safety risks due to flammable liquid …
China''s battery technology firm HiNa launched a 100 kWh energy storage power station in 2019, demonstrating the feasibility of sodium batteries for large-scale energy storage.
This comprehensive article examines and compares various types of batteries used for energy storage, such as lithium-ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, flow batteries, and …
According to reports, the energy density of mainstream lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO 4) batteries is currently below 200 Wh kg −1, while that of ternary lithium-ion batteries …
The goal of the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC), at the University of California San Diego Nanoengineering department and the University of Chicago …
In the Rowan group, we are applying our broad expertise in functional polymeric materials to solve challenges ranging from redox-flow batteries for grid storage to solid-state lithium-ion batteries …
The U.S. Department of Energy has selected Argonne National Laboratory to spearhead the Energy Storage Research Alliance (ESRA), one of two new Energy Innovation …
Researchers at the University of Chicago have discovered a novel ether solvent for lithium-ion batteries that allows for greater storage capacity, more stability, and the …
The paper, published today in Nature Energy, demonstrates a new sodium battery architecture with stable cycling for several hundred cycles. By removing the anode and …
Meng''s research focuses primarily on energy storage materials and systems – including rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and trucks, power sources for Internet of Things (IOTs), as well as grid-scale storage for deep renewable …
New research outlines a way to use solvent-free inorganic molten salts to create strong, safe batteries, opening new possibilities for EVs, renewable energy storage, phones and other electronic devices.
The goal of the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC), at the University of California San Diego Nanoengineering department and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, is to …
ESRA brings together nearly 50 world-class researchers from three national laboratories and 12 universities to provide the scientific underpinning to address the nation''s …
New research outlines a way to use solvent-free inorganic molten salts to create strong, safe batteries, opening new possibilities for EVs, renewable energy storage, phones …
1 Introduction. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have long been considered as an efficient energy storage system on the basis of their energy density, power density, reliability, and stability, …