The Evolving Structure, Interface, and Performance in Metal Ion Batteries – Through the Eyes of Operando Spectroscopy
Lingzi Sang
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry
University of Alberta
Friday, September 27, 2024
10:30 a.m.
In-person: C2-361
Abstract: All-solid-state batteries use non-volatile and non-flammable electrolytes and are considered a safe choice to satisfy the growing demand for energy storage. Using solid-state electrolytes also eliminates the need for unit-cell packing when fabricating tandem cells, potentially enabling further enhanced energy density. To date, key challenges present for developing electrochemically stable, mechanically robust electrolytes to accommodate ultra-thin, packable solid-state batteries. This seminar will discuss the evolving chemistries at the electrode/electrolyte interface that are responsible for limited cycling performance and strategies for producing mechanically enhanced solid-state electrolytes. Multidisciplinary characterization used for investing fundamental chemistry in these key battery processes will be in focus. Lingzi will demonstrate a combination of operando Raman, Surface IR, and X-ray absorption along with NMR, X-ray diffraction, and electron microscopy for the understanding of structural- and morphological-level details in critical materials and interface. Interpretation made possible by characterizations marks the criterion for the selection of material and device configuration toward high-performance, long-lasting batteries.
Lingzi Sang obtained her BS from Xiamen University and her PhD in Chemistry from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the Department of Chemistry at the University of Alberta, Lingzi conducted her postdoc research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Sang group is broadly interested in fundamental chemical processes at the interface of energy devices, e.g., batteries and solar cells. Perturbations such as temperature, radiation, and electrical potential during characterization allow the team to correlate materials structure with device functionality. Sang group develop arrange of in-situ measurement tools (in-situ Raman, surface IR, XANES) to answer materials chemistry questions. Standing at the interception of analytical, materials, and interfacial chemistry, Sang recently established the Laboratory for Advanced Characterization of Interfaces in Energy Devices (LACIE), a facility with the capacity to comprehensively characterize the fundamental physicochemical nature of interfaces in electrochemical devices. LACIE brings together research tools including vibrational spectroscopy (Raman, IR), X-ray spectroscopy, electrochemistry, thin film fabrication, and solid-state battery fabrication.