Leveraging Operando Characterization and Rational Interface Design Toward Better Batteries

Public Seminar / Faculty Search for a position in Battery Materials, STI / IMX

Connect to Zoom:Meeting ID: 696 7305 9441, Passcode: 238913


Dr. Eric Kazyak, University of Michigan

Abstract:
The ability to store electricity from intermittent sources such as wind and solar for on-demand use is a grand challenge for sustainability and the transition away from fossil fuels. Battery electric vehicles are seen as the most viable route to decarbonization of the transportation sector and Li-ion batteries are also the current leading option for grid-scale storage. Together, transportation and electricity production account for over half of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, improving battery performance with faster charging times, increased energy density, longer life, and enhanced safety along with decreasing costs will aid in rapid widespread implementation of energy storage for both mobile and stationary applications – a critical step for mitigating the impacts of fossil fuels including climate change. This talk will cover a selection of my work on current state- of-the-art Li-ion batteries and next-generation solid-state Li-metal batteries.
I will begin by covering a recently developed approach for enabling 15-minute fast-charging of state- of-the-art Li-ion batteries. I will show that a nano-scale coating of a stable solid-electrolyte material on the graphite electrode can eliminate Li plating by preventing undesirable side reactions and maintaining a low- impedance electrode/electrolyte interface. Next, I will summarize the potential of solid-state Li-metal batteries to enable a step-increase in energy density, along with the current interface and manufacturing challenges associated with implementation. Operando video microscopy will be utilized to visualize 1) how Li filaments can penetrate across solid electrolytes under high current densities and lead to short-circuiting, and 2) how Li nucleates and grows at the current collector/electrolyte interface in anode-free solid-state batteries. I will pay particular attention to the coupling between electrochemistry and mechanics at these buried solid/solid interfaces, and the role it plays in cell performance/failure. These examples will highlight the importance of operando characterization, mechanistic understanding, and interfacial engineering for advancing next- generation battery technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace.

Bio:
Eric Kazyak is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan. He received his Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland in 2014, and his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Michigan under Prof. Neil Dasgupta in 2020. His doctoral work focused on understanding and overcoming the challenges of next-generation Li metal anodes for high energy density batteries, with a focus on interface chemistry and design. He was the recipient of an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and has authored/co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed journal articles in the fields of energy storage and conversion. His current work is focused primarily on two topics that he is passionate about: 1) Enabling fast-charging and extreme conditions in large-format lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, and 2) Improving manufacturability, cost, and rate capability of next-generation solid-state Li metal batteries.