Title: Interfacing Electrolytes to Electrodes in Batteries

Speaker: Dr. Kang Xu (Electrochemistry Branch,U. S. Army Research Laboratory)

Date/Time: 10:00 AM, Oct. 21, 2016 (Fri.)

Location: Room 202 in the Lujiaxi Building.

Abstract:

As the essential component in any electrochemical device, electrolyte determines a number of key performances, including temperature range for service, rate of electrochemical reaction, safety under both normal and abusive operations, cycle/calendar life as well as the maximum voltage allowed. Among these, the electrochemical stability window is perhaps the most intriguing property, because in almost all electrochemical devices, the electrodes operate at potentials far beyond what thermodynamics allowed. This group at ARL has been trying to understand this basic phenomenon and exploring various means to tailor the surface chemistry at electrode/electrolyte junctions, so that this stability window could be expanded to enable more powerful battery chemistries. This talk will summarize these recent efforts.