Argonne National Laboratory

John T. Vaughey

Department Head, Senior Chemist

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Materials for Energy Storage

Biography

John (Jack) Vaughey is an internationally recognized expert in the design, synthesis, and characterization of next generation materials with applications in energy storage. His work includes cathode design and discovery of lithium-ion (LIB), sodium-ion (SIB), and MV-ion systems, silver-based medical batteries, battery recycling and upcycling, LIB anode materials based on intermetallic, silicon, and Zintl phases. He has over 30 patents including the Non-Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries for grid storage applications (w A. Jansen, F. Brushett).

Received DOE Award for Mentoring (2008), named an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow (2018), .

Education

  • Northwestern University, Evanston, IL.  Ph.D. Inorganic Materials Chemistry. 
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA.  B.Sc. in Chemistry

Awards & Honors

  • Pacesetter Award (ANL) for the Development of the Intermetallic Anode (2000)
  • Outstanding Mentor Award from US Department of Energy, Office of Science (2008)
  • Strategic Laboratory Leadership Program, University of Chicago Booth School of Business (2017-18)
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (2018)

Leadership and Program Creation 

  • ReCell Battery Recycling
    • ReCell - Co-author/Direct Recycling Lead Lithium-ion cathodes (2018-2022). 
    • ReCell - Co-author/Cathode Upcycling Lead Lithium-Ion cathodes (2018-2022). 
  • High Capacity Anodes
    • Silicon Consortium Program (SCP; VTO) co-PI (2020-pres) 
    • Silicon Deep Dive (VTO);  2015-20; PI (2017-20) 
    • SEISTA - Solid Electrolyte Interphase Studies on Silicon (VTO) ANL-Lead (2015-2020)
    • BATT (VTO); (1997-2013)
      • Porous All-Inorganic Silicon Electrodes based on metallic copper binders and a CuxSi interfacial compounds
      • Porous Electrode Design for Sb- or Sn-based Intermetallics (including Cu2Sb, Cu6Sn5, InSb)
      • Porous Electrode Design based on nanostructured Li4Ti5O12 anodes
  • JCESR Office of Science Innovation Hub Science;
    • Creator/Author/Contributor JCESR Beyond Lithium-Ion Program, Multivalent Chemistry (2011-2013, 2018)
    • Creator/Co-author JCESR Grid Storage Program, Non-Aqueous Organic Flow Batteries (2011-13)
    • Co-author/Contributor JCESR Beyond Lithium-Ion Program, Materials Complexity (2018-23)
    • Non-Aqueous Organic Flow Battery: Grid Storage (2005-2012)
      • Demonstrated reversible organic redox flow battery anode materials
      • Several US Patents on the Non-Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Battery (w Andrew Jansen & Fikile Brushett
  • Integrated Lab Industry Research Program 
    • Solid State Batteries & Electrolytes
      • Created Solid State Ceramic Electrolyte-based Battery Program (w John Newman (UCB)) (VTO) (2009-14)
      • Demonstrated the stability of garnets to lithium metal, air instability, and identified methods to produce thin films 
      • Determined the Al(III) diffusion pathways (using MAS-NMR, high resolution XRD) that control the phase transitions in Li7La3Zr2O12 garnet solid state electrolytes. 

Professional Service

  • Associate Editor, Materials Research Bulletin, 2011-present
  • Editorial Board, Chemistry of Materials, 2011-present
  • Electrochemical Society Toyota Young Investigator Award Committee (2017-18)
  • Electrochemical Society Battery Division Technology Award, Committee (2017-18)
  • The Electrochemical Society, Battery Division, Member-at-Large (2018-pres)
  • The Electrochemical Society, Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Subcommitee, (2019-22) 
  • Technical Advisory Board, Advanced Materials Research Institute (AMRI), University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA (2007-present)
  • Scientific Advisory Committee, Annual Conference on Magnesium-ion Batteries, Ulm, Germany (2016-present)
  • Organizing Committee, 7th International Symposium on Inorganic Phosphate Materials (2011)
  • Co-organizer International Battery Association Conference on Manganese Dioxide (2000)
  • Symposium Lead Organizer, Beyond Li-Ion Batteries, 232nd Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, National Harbor, MD (2017)
  • Symposium Lead Organizer, Lithium-Ion Batteries and Beyond, 233rd Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Seattle, WA (2018)
  • Symposium Lead Organizer, Next Generation Battery Materials, 238th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Honolulu, HI, (2020).
  • Symposium Lead Organizer, Next Generation Battery Materials, 239th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Chicago, IL, (2021)
  • Symposium Lead Organizer, Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling and Safety, 241th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Vancouver, BC, (2022).
  • Argonne National Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Committee, Chemical Engineering Division, 2005-2008.
  • Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Strategic Planning Lead for Interfacial Science, 2018
  • Argonne Maria Goeppert Meyer Named Fellowship Advisory Committee, co-chair, 2018-pres
  • Argonne Walter Massey Named Fellowship Advisory Committee, co-chair, 2021-pres

Publications and Patents

  • ~190 Publications covering cathodes (lithium-ion, lithium-rich lithium ion, Mg-ion, medical), anodes (lithium metal, intermetallics, silicon), electrolytes (NASICONs, garnets, Mg salts),  and organic flow batteries (materials design)
  • ~30 US Patents on battery, fuel cell, high Tc materials.