IMX Talks - The Role of Advanced Analytical Characterization in Energy Storage Materials R&D

Event details
Date | 28.02.2025 |
Hour | 10:00 › 11:00 |
Speaker | Dr. Nikhilendra Singh, Toyota Research Institute of North America, Ann Arbor, MI, USA |
Location | |
Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Event Language | English |
Advances in hybrid and electric vehicle technologies combined with a demand for green initiatives continue to motivate necessary diversification in energy storage materials research & development. New battery chemistries and systems which can provide greater range and power than the current state-of-art Lithium (Li)-ion battery, are needed. Additionally, to achieve necessary standards for green initiatives for hybrid and electric vehicles, a closer examination of the processes and materials involved in battery systems and their circularity, is also critical. Examples of such Li-ion battery systems are those focused on the utilization of next-generation materials within a battery, and the move towards closed-loop battery ecosystems to improve supply-chain risks. However, the development of such systems is complicated at the fundamental level by process-driven impurities and chemical incompatibilities in current liquid battery systems.
Among additional strategies under consideration for energy storage diversification, the use of solid-state electrolytes (inclusive of polymers, gels and conducting ceramics) stands out since the implementation of solid-state electrolytes may potentially serve as a mechanical barrier towards Li dendrite formation (and hence potentially subdue thermal runaway events). However, solid-state electrolytes exhibit lower ionic conductivities and display poor interfacial stability towards higher energy electrode materials. While optimizations to overcome such intrinsic challenges continue, even less is known about the interfacial interactions between electrolytes and electrode materials. Since battery system interfaces eventually govern the performance and lifespan of a battery, studies into investigating and understanding these interactions also remain essential.
Here, we present an overview of select studies undertaken to investigate the interfacial interactions between various liquid and solid electrolytes under consideration for various battery systems today. The studies cover interfacial observations, nucleation and growth of materials on an electrode, and the chemo-mechanical transformations within electrolytes, and at their interfaces with electrode materials. Tandem analytical studies via techniques such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) can reveal the interfacial interactions and failure modes between electrodes and battery electrolytes. The presented studies allow for comparisons of different electrode material properties for each type of electrolyte material and stand to help clarify interfacial, morphological and failure evolution mechanisms during battery cycling from them. Further, we present the need for bridging length scales across multiple analytical techniques when analyzing energy storage system materials, to be able to better correlate model studies and commercial products while also utilizing the strengths of analytical characterization towards battery circularity aspects for the future.
Bio: Nikhilendra (Nik) Singh is a Principal Scientist in the Materials Research Department at the Toyota Research Institute of North America. In his current role, he is part of a group which researches post-lithium-ion battery systems and their applications to future mobility and battery circularity. In specific, his research currently covers sectors in solid-state batteries and liquid batteries beyond traditional lithium-ion chemistries commercially available today, as well as topics such as battery recycling.
Nik joined Toyota in 2011 as a contracted researcher and moved to team member in 2013. In this time, he has contributed towards more than twenty issued patents and eighteen peer-reviewed scientific publications. Prior to working at Toyota, Nik received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Environmental Science from Muskingum University and his Doctorate in Chemistry from Purdue University.
Practical information
- General public
- Free
Organizer
- Prof. Vasiliki Tileli
Contact
- Prof. Vasiliki Tileli