Event Information |
ChBE Seminar Series: Molecules to devices: mechanistic analyses of electrochemical energy systems Speaker: Maureen Tang, ChBE Assistant Professor, Drexel University Title: From molecules to devices: mechanistic analyses of electrochemical energy systems Abstract: In an energy landscape with increased environmental concerns and reduced availability of fossil fuels, electrochemical systems will likely play a major role for automotive and grid-storage applications. Our research strives to diagnose and overcome challenges related to electrochemical energy storage. We focus on mechanistic analysis that integrates both theory and experiment. In this talk, Dr. Tang will discuss three applications of the aforementioned research approach ranging from the molecular to the device scale. In the first, consider the origin of pH-dependent kinetics for hydrogen evolution and oxidation. Using single-crystal voltammetry and microkinetic modeling, her team found that adsorbed hydroxide is a spectator at best and a poison at worst. The implications of this finding on electrocatalyst design are discussed. In the second application, they investigated the effect of inter-electrode communication on failure mechanisms in Li-ion batteries. Electrochemical characterization of surface films using redox mediators separates transport and kinetics to determine how nominally passivating films can selectively transfer charge. These results highlight the importance of a defect-free inorganic layer for a successful interface. Finally, she applies this approach to battery electrode design. Her team combined rheology with electrochemical analysis to determine the role of carbon microstructure in battery performance and reach the counter-intuitive conclusion that short-range electron transport is more limiting than either long-range conductivity or tortuous ion paths. Biography: This Event is For: Public |