Aim 6: Architecture

Design three-dimensional electrode architectures that control nucleation and growth, crystal structure, texture, and morphology.

How can we control local events in aqueous batteries? 21st Century electrode design reconsiders the entire volume of anodes and cathodes as an energy reactor, which are optimized by wiring the transport of electrons and ions. In this design space, electrode structures become electrode architectures that greatly amplify surfaces in a given area. Irregular architectures such as foams and sponges also innately act as a confined volume to contain electrochemical reaction components.

Transport wiring in three-dimensional (3D) converts reactions that lose structural control at high local current density into many more uniformly reactive events at low local current density. Meanwhile, the electrified volume adds up to device-relevant potential for energy dense active materials and for the fast flow of relatively high current through limited space. Uniform reactions distributed through a given volume offers a means to develop batteries that are safe, energy dense, fast at charging and discharging, with long cycle life.

The Aim 6 team seeks to design 3D electrode architectures that control metal nucleation and growth to avoid whisker-like formation, as well as control crystal structure, texture, and form.

Lead

  • Debra Rolison

    Lead, Aim 6 - Architecture; Head, Advanced Electrochemical Materials Section, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC

Current Co-Principal Investigators

  • Zheng Chen

    Associate Professor, Nanoengineering, University of California–San Diego

  • William Chueh

    Lead, Crosscut Theme 3 - Operando characterization techniques; Associate Professor, Materials Science & Engineering, and Energy Science & Engineering, Stanford

  • Yi Cui

    Director and Principal Investigator, Aqueous Battery Consortium; Professor, Materials Science & Engineering, Energy Science & Engineering, and Photon Science, Stanford University

  • Yijin Liu

    Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas–Austin

  • Jeffrey W. Long

    Research Chemist, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

  • Johanna Nelson Weker

    Assistant Director, Aqueous Battery Consortium; Lead Scientist, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC

  • Hamdi Tchelepi

    Professor and Department Chair, Energy Science & Engineering, Stanford

  • Sarah Tolbert

    Lead, Crosscut Theme 1 - Materials design and synthesis; Distinguished Professor, Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Materials Science & Engineering, UCLA