Electrochemical Energy Laboratory (EEL)

The Electrochemical Energy Laboratory (EEL) was founded in Fall 2003 for the fundamental research of electrochemical energy systems such as batteries and fuel cells. Currently there are 9 graduate students, 1 undergraduate assistant, and 1 post-doc working in the EEL. Research topics presently include polymer fuel cell membrane and electrode studies, characterization of lithium battery cathode electrodes, solid oxide fuel cell cathode studies, and lithium battery architectures, to name a few.

The mission of the EEL is the fundamental investigation of alternative energy conversion devices that are based on the principles of electrochemistry to provide higher efficiency and lower environmental impact energy sources for the benefit of society.

The supply of clean and sustainable energy is one of the most important scientific challenges in the 21st century. Most clean and sustainable options such as solar energy, produce electricity, which requires storage in order to link energy supply with energy demand. Our research concerns the science and engineering of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. Direct conversion from electrical to chemical energy in electrochemical devices allows the storage of electrical work in chemical bonds such as hydrogen molecules and lithium. Stored energy can be used to power a wide range of applications from portable electronics to vehicle and stationary applications. However, the energy densities of electrochemical energy technologies are too low and their costs are too high to be competitive for transportation and stationary applications in comparison to combustion-based technologies. Fundamental research on the materials and catalysts that convert and store energy is needed to increase the performance and cost characteristics of electrochemical devices. New concepts for lithium storage materials are needed in order to dramatically amplify the energy and power characteristics of lithium batteries. Fundamental studies are needed to develop catalysts for electro-conversion of small molecules from one form to another (such as oxygen reduction in fuel cells and H2 production from water splitting), which is key to chemical-energy-based conversion and storage technologies.

Research activities of the group are centered on two principal challenges in basic energy sciences and materials research: 1) materials design for high-energy and high-power energy storage involving lithium and 2) fundamental understanding of catalytic processes on the molecular level, and discovery of cost-effective and highly active catalysts for electro-conversion of small molecules such as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), methanol oxidation and water splitting. We tackle these challenges from a fundamental perspective through the following framework: understanding the bulk and surface atomic and electronic structures of materials, uncovering reaction mechanisms, and application of mechanistic understanding to design new materials (top graph). We focus our research in three thrust areas: lithium storage materials, nanoparticle electrocatalysis, and oxide electrocatalysis. In the area of lithium storage, we study the changes in the crystal and surface structures of lithium storage oxides, and design stable structures and surfaces for high-energy, high-rate, long-life lithium batteries. In the area of nanoparticle electrocatalysis, we aim to bridge the gap between bulk surfaces and nanoparticles by relating the surface atomic structures and near-surface chemical compositions to activity, from which we seek to identify parameters and processes governing the activity and develop strategies to enhance nanoparticle activity. In the area of oxide electrocatalysis, we aim to establish fundamental principles governing oxide activity for ORR by correlating surface compositions and electronic structures of oxides to activity, and we tailor activity by creating heterostructured oxide surfaces.