Speaker: Yan Yao, Cullen Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Principal Investigator of Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston
Title: Next-Generation Batteries for Electric Transportation and Stationary Energy Storage
Abstract: Batteries are the key to a sustainable energy future. Accelerated global transition to electric vehicles and increasing penetration of renewable energy for the grid require cheaper, safer batteries with higher energy density made of resource abundant materials. In this talk, I will focus on two battery chemistries: all-solid-state batteries for electric vehicles and magnesium batteries for the grid. First, I will present the key challenges in solid-state batteries and our solution to overcome them. Cobalt-free cathode materials such as organic electrode materials are gaining momentum thanks to their lower environmental footprint, flexible molecular design, and high energy metrics. I will provide an overview of Li-organic solid-state batteries, analyze the performance-limiting factors, and present cell design guidelines leading to 500 Wh kg−1 cell-level specific energy. I will also showcase an air-free vessel with an in-situ test platform developed to connect structural, chemical, and mechanical characterizations for understanding the cell degradation pathways in solid-state batteries. In the second half of my talk, I will discuss our recent efforts in high-power Mg batteries. Mg batteries have long been regarded as a low-cost safe solution for the grid. However, Mg2+ interacts strongly with electrolyte solutions and cathode materials, leading to sluggish ion dissociation and diffusion, and consequently low power output. We demonstrated a high-power Mg-battery with a heterogeneous enolization redox chemistry that delivers nearly two orders of magnitude higher specific power, enabled by new understanding of electrolyte-electrode interactions and their determining effect on the charge storage mechanism.
Bio: Dr. Yan Yao is the Cullen Professor of Engineering at the University of Houston. He received his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering from UCLA and conducted postdoc research at Stanford University. He spent two years working at Polyera Corporation, where he led the photovoltaic polymers development and demonstrated the world-record efficiency in 2009. He joined the University of Houston in 2012 as an Assistant Professor, promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2017, and Full Professor in 2020. Professor Yao is recognized as the leading expert in organic batteries, multivalent batteries, and aqueous batteries. His “Energy Materials and Devices” Lab has been funded by federal agencies (DOE, ARPA-E, NSF, ONR) and industry with over $9M. He received several awards for his research, including the Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics, Scialog Award on Advanced Energy Storage, and Cullen College of Engineering Professorship. Yao is a Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, a Senior Member of National Academy of Inventors and IEEE. He co-founded two spin-offs from his research, LiBeyond and Solid Design Instruments.
Seminar Host: Steve Martin
Webinar Link: https://iastate.zoom.us/j/95601200171