Definition of the Fundamental Barriers to Multivalent Ion Intercalation in Transition Metal Oxides
Abstract
This DOD Research and Education Program for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MI) grant seeks funding to i) establish a cutting-edge research program, ii) significantly improve the electrochemistry research capabilities at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and iii) increase the participation of Hispanic students in STEM research project, leading to an increased diversity of the R&D workforce in the United States. This 4-year research program will focus on identifying the fundamental barriers to the successful development of next generation, high-capacity multi-valent ion batteries. The PI Klie and co-PI Cabana will combine their expertise in materials synthesis, electrochemistry and characterization to determine the mechanisms of Mg2+ and Ca2+ intercalation in transition metal oxide cathodes. If successful, this research program will answer important basic questions in multivalent electrochemistry and pave the way for the development of mobile, high-capacity, rechargeable batteries based on multivalent ions. Such devices would produce transformational leaps in energy density that will be of great interest to all branches of the U.S. Department of Defense. In this research program, the PI Klie and Co-PI Cabana will focus their research on two model systems, layered V2O5 and spinel V2O4. The program is centered around four tasks to generate fundamental knowledge about the electrochemical underpinnings that define or limit the performance of Mg2+ or Ca2+ battery cathode materials and will show how they differ from the well-established Li-ion electrochemistry. This program will also leverage the PIÕs recent DOD HBCU/MI Instrumentation grant (W911NF2110289, $497,073, 05/21-11/22, PI: Klie) to purchase an in-situ electrochemistry TEM holder with simultaneous heating ability. This Protochips Poseidon Heating with Electrochemistry holder is the only holder in the world that can perform electrochemistry measurements at temperature up to 150 ¡C. Task 1 will focus on benchmarking the new holder for high-temperature electro-chemistry by comparing its performance with that of the same reaction in a benchtop reactor. Task 2 will develop a detailed understanding of how Mg intercalation results in a transformation of the initial structure of the two model vanadium oxides. Task 3 will identify the competing processes that are responsible for the different reactions occurring in the bulk of the oxide cathodes and at its interface with the liquid electrolyte. Task 4 will focus specifically on ÀÀÀÀ-V2O5 and is aimed at identifying the differences in the intercalation mechanisms for Mg2+ and Ca2+ compared to Li+. This program is also aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented groups in cutting-edge research in materials science by recruiting undergraduate and graduate students from the diverse, highly-talented student pool at the University of Illinois Chicago Ð a Research 1 Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Ð and by creating new educational programs. The PIs anticipate that several minority undergraduate and graduate students will be directly impacted by this research program. Support for these students will come from the Latin@s Gaining Access to Networks for Advancement in Science (L@S GANAS) and the DuSable Scholars program, which support UIC Black and Latinx students in STEM programs. In addition, the PIs will leverage this research program to integrate the developed research methods in exiting courses at UIC, as well as the NGenE: Next Generation Electrochemistry summer workshop organized by the co-PI Cabana.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 24, 2023
- Source ID
- W911NF2310225
Entities
People
- Robert Klie
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of Illinois at Chicago