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MEAM Seminar: “Solid Interfaces in Electrochemical Devices”

February 28, 2023 at 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

While lithium (Li) ion battery technology has had major successes, at the current rate of progress, it is unlikely to meet the mid-century global demands related to full de-carbonization and interruption of fossil fuel usage for transportation and energy generation. The replacement of currently used anodes by Li metal is one of the most promising alternatives to solve this problem. However, various obstacles hinder its commercialization, many of which are related to phenomena happening at the interface between the anode and the electrolyte. In this talk, some of the interface-related issues that plague Li-ion and Li-metal batteries are discussed. Using a well-established electrodeposition model for solid electrolytes, we conceptualize and engineer a polymer composite separator capable of harnessing advantageous properties of its components at their interfaces. The synergistic interaction between two of the most common components of the solid electrolyte interphase is also probed, and the interface between them is shown to significantly enhance the conduction of charge carriers. By combining first-principles methods with thermodynamic modeling, we explore the importance of interfaces in the context of void and pit formation. A similar methodology is also employed to examine Li intercalation in twisted bilayer graphene systems. The methods and principles used in these studies rely on computational approaches that are broadly applicable — and indeed critical — for applications that require engineering at the nanoscale.

Victor Venturi

Postdoctoral Associate, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Victor Venturi is a postdoctoral associate at MIT. He received his Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Venkat Viswanathan in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a Richard King Mellon Presidential Fellow. His primary research focuses on using computational techniques to understand and to leverage nanoscale materials for energy and sustainability applications. His research bridges first-principles methods, machine learning, and continuum scale modeling to investigate the role of interfaces and low-dimensional material structures on electrochemical devices.

Details

Date:
February 28, 2023
Time:
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Event Category:
Event Tags:

Organizer

Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics
Phone
215-746-1818
Email
meam@seas.upenn.edu
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Venue

Wu and Chen Auditorium (Room 101), Levine Hall
3330 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104 United States
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