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The Materials Research group specializes in the synthesis and electrochemical characterization of advanced battery materials for a number of energy storage applications with a focus on transportation.

We are a lithium-ion battery materials research group within CSE with a focus on cathode materials, advanced characterization, and scale-up synthesis. We actively collaborate with groups involved in scale-up engineering, syncrotron-based characterization, materials coatings, and material modeling.

Our current projects focus on in-depth studies of high-voltage high-energy lithium-ion battery cathodes. Active projects include:

  • Designing Cathodes using Earth Abundant Materials: (EaCAM) Using layered and spinel-type cathode materials, we are studying relationship between synthesis, composition, electrochemical window, and processing as alternatives to currently used cathode materials.  
  • Cathode Coatings: Due to the importance of materials interfaces in electrochemical systems, we are identifying next generation materials coatings on commercially relevant materials with a focus on atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques through a collaboration with the Elam Group (Argonne),
  • Fast Charge: we are studying the degradation pathways of cathode materials used under fast charging conditions.
  • Scale-Up Synthesis: we are developing scale-up synthesis techniques (with the Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF/Argonne)) to understand the role of synthesis at scale and materials issues associated with moving from lab scale to pilot plant scale.