Feng Wang preview image

Feng Wang

Senior Materials Scientist

Research interests in battery science, technology development and commercialization.

Biography

Feng Wang is a materials scientist specializing in electron microscopy and synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy for battery research. He is currently part of the process development and scale-up team at the Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF), leading multiple projects to advance battery processing science and technology.

Wang holds a PhD in Condensed Matter Physics, with his thesis dedicated to transmission electron microscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy. During his postdoc research, he developed in situ and operando techniques to investigate electronic and ionic transport in conversion- and intercalation-type electrodes, contributing to a foundational understanding of battery operation. While at Brookhaven National Laboratory, his research expanded further to in situ synchrotron X-ray spectroscopy of materials synthesis and processing, opening a new avenue for predictive process design and development in battery manufacturing.

His current research focuses on the development and manufacturing of next-generation earth-abundant cathodes for lithium-ion and sodium-ion batteries, involving multi-institutional collaborations supported by Department of Energy-funded programs. By leveraging cutting-edge characterization and engineering capabilities at Argonne, he is developing in situ and inline metrology to streamline battery design, optimization, and manufacturing to accelerate the transition from early-stage discoveries to scalable production.

Selected Publications

  1. R Dongol, A Mukherjee, J Bai, HJJ van Dam, MR Carbone, EF Abell, H Zhong, A Tayal, L Ma, O Kahvecioglu, K Z Pupek, D Lu, K Rajan, F Wang, In situ Synchrotron X‐ray Metrology Boosted by Automated Data Analysis for Real‐time Monitoring of Cathode Calcination, Small Methods (early view).
  2. A Tayal, P Barai, H Zhong, O Kahvecioglu, X Wang, KZ Pupek, L Ma, SN Ehrlich, V Srinivasan, X Qu, J Bai, F Wang, In Situ Insights into Cathode Calcination for Predictive Synthesis: Kinetic Crystallization of LiNiO2 from Hydroxides, Advanced Materials 36, 2312027 (2024).
  3. F Xin, IS Buyuker, H Zhou, F Guo, A Goel, J Bai, F Wang, MS Whittingham, Importance of High Valence Element Nb in Ni-Rich Layered Cathodes for High-Voltage Lithium-Metal Batteries, ACS Energy Letters 9, 5172 (2024).
  4. K Chen, P Barai, O Kahvecioglu, L Wu, KZ Pupek, M Ge, L Ma, SN Ehrlich, H. Zhong, Y.  Zhu, V. Srinivasan, J. Bai, F. Wang, Cobalt-free composite-structured cathodes with lithium-stoichiometry control for sustainable lithium-ion batteries, Nature Communications 15, 430 (2024).
  5. C Cao, MR Carbone, C Komurcuoglu, JS Shekhawat, K Sun, H Guo, S Liu, K Chen, S-M Bak, Y Du, C Weiland, X Tong, DA Steingart, S Yoo, N Artrith, A Urban, D Lu, F Wang, Atomic insights into the oxidative degradation mechanisms of sulfide solid electrolytes, Cell Reports Physical Science 5, 101909 (2024).
  6. F Wang, P Barai, O Kahvecioglu, KZ Pupek, J Bai, V Srinivasan, Process design for calcination of nickel-based cathode materials by in situ characterization and multiscale modeling, J. Mater. Research 37, 3197 (2023).
  7. M Ge, S Wi, X Liu, J Bai, S Ehrlich, D Lu, WK Lee, Z Chen, F Wang, Kinetic limitations in single‐crystal high‐nickel cathodes, Angewandte Chemie International Edition 60, 17350 (2022).
  8. F Wang, J Bai, Synthesis and Processing by Design of High‐Nickel Cathode Materials, Batteries & Supercaps 5, e202100174 (2022).
  9. W Zhang, DH Seo, T Chen, L Wu, M Topsakal, Y Zhu, D Lu, G Ceder, F Wang, Kinetic pathways of ionic transport in fast-charging lithium titanate, Science 367, 1030 (2020).
  10. MJ Zhang, G Teng, YK Chen-Wiegart, Y Duan, JYP Ko, J Zheng, J Thieme, E Dooryhee, Z Chen, J Bai, K Amine, F Pan, F Wang, Cationic ordering coupled to reconstruction of basic building units during synthesis of high-Ni layered oxides, Journal of the American Chemical Society 140, 12484 (2018).
  11. J Zhao, W Zhang, A Huq, ST Misture, B Zhang, S Guo, L Wu, Y Zhu, Z Chen, K Amine, F Pan, J Bai, F Wang, In situ probing and synthetic control of cationic ordering in Ni‐Rich layered oxide cathodes, Advanced Energy Materials 7, 1601266 (2017).
  12. F Wang, SW Kim, DH Seo, K Kang, L Wang, D Su, JJ Vajo, J Wang, J. Graetz, Ternary metal fluorides as high-energy cathodes with low cycling hysteresis, Nature Communications 6, 6668 (2015).
  13. F Wang, L Wu, B Key, XQ Yang, CP Grey, Y Zhu, J Graetz, Electrochemical reaction of lithium with nanostructured silicon anodes: a study by in‐situ synchrotron X‐Ray diffraction and electron energy‐loss spectroscopy, Advanced Energy Materials, 1324 (2013).
  14. F Wang, HC Yu, MH Chen, L Wu, N Pereira, K Thornton, A Van der Ven, Y Zhu, GG Amatucci, J Graetz, Tracking lithium transport and electrochemical reactions in nanoparticles, Nature Communications 3, 1201 (2012).
  15. F Wang, R Robert, NA Chernova, N Pereira, F Omenya, F Badway, X Hua, M Ruotolo, R Zhang, L Wu, V Volkov, D Su, B Key, MS Whittingham, CP Grey, GG Amatucci, Y Zhu, J Graetz, Conversion reaction mechanisms in lithium ion batteries: study of the binary metal fluoride electrodes Journal of the American Chemical Society 133, 18828 (2011).
  16. F Wang, J Graetz, MS Moreno, C Ma, L Wu, V Volkov, Y Zhu, Chemical distribution and bonding of lithium in intercalated graphite: Identification with optimized electron energy loss spectroscopy, ACS Nano 5, 1190 (2011).
  17. F Wang, R Egerton, M Malac, Fourier-ratio deconvolution techniques for electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), Ultramicroscopy 109, 1245 (2009).
  18. F Wang, RF Egerton, M Malac, RA McLeod, MS Moreno, The spatial resolution of electron energy loss and x-ray absorption fine structure, Journal of Applied Physics 104, 034906 (2008).
  19. F Wang, M Malac, RF Egerton,  Energy-loss near-edge fine structures of iron nanoparticles, Micron 37, 316 (2006).
  20. RF Egerton, F Wang, PA Crozier, Beam-induced damage to thin specimens in an intense electron probe, Microscopy and Microanalysis 12, 65 (2006).