Aim 1: Electrolyte

Expand the voltage stability window of aqueous electrolytes significantly beyond the thermodynamic limit while maintaining fast kinetics.

A major challenge to powerful aqueous electrolyte-based batteries is that water splits up into hydrogen and oxygen at voltages above 1.23 volts (vs the standard hydrogen electrode), but kinetic control can result in a large and desirable overpotential. The Aim 1 team seeks to raise the voltage at which the electrolyte remains chemically stable significantly beyond the thermodynamic limit, while maintaining fast discharging and charging.

Expanding this electrochemical stability window above 1.23 volts at low cost is central to the success of Aqueous Battery Consortium. Extending the organic electrolyte stability window by forming a solid electrolyte interphase revolutionized lithium-ion batteries. Extending the stability window of aqueous electrolytes will enable aqueous electrolyte-based batteries to compete with current batteries at low cost and high safety.

Expanding the voltage stability window could have multiple significant impacts, including:

  • Depositing and stripping ions on the electrodes with high coulombic efficiency, resulting in high energy and high power;
  • Enabling excellent stability for long cycle and calendar life, which is necessary for energy storage to support electric grids.

The Aim 1 team has laid out its strategies to expand the voltage stability window of aqueous electrolytes significantly and enable realistic battery operation. The success of this aim will form the launch point for the entire research project.

Lead

  • Chunsheng Wang

    Lead, Aim 1 - Electrolyte; Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland

Current Co-Principal Investigators

  • Oleg Borodin

    Lead, Crosscut Theme 2 - Theory and simulation; Scientist, Battery Science Branch, DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory

  • Raphaële Clement

    Assistant Professor, Materials, University of California–Santa Barbara

  • Bruce Dunn

    Lead, Aim 3 - Cathodes; Distinguished Professor, Materials Science & Engineering, and Bioengineering, UCLA

  • Xiulei “David” Ji

    Professor, Chemistry, Oregon State University

  • Eric Kalu

    Professor, Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, Florida

  • Linda F. Nazar

    Chief Scientist, Aqueous Battery Consortium; Professor and Senior Canada Research Chair, Energy Storage Materials, University of Waterloo

  • Jian Qin

    Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Stanford

  • Ram Seshadri

    Distinguished Professor, Materials, and Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of California–Santa Barbara