Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Kelsey Hatzell

Description

Kelsey Hatzell, an associate professor at Princeton University in the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, will give a talk titled "Seeing is Believing—How X-Ray Probes Can Help Us Image Solid-State Batteries" for the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Abstract:

Transportation accounts for 23% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and electrification is a pathway toward ameliorating these growing challenges. All-solid-state batteries could potentially address the safety and driving range requirements necessary for widespread adoption of electric vehicles. However, the power densities of all-solid-state batteries are limited because of ineffective ion transport at solid|solid interfaces. New insight into the governing physics that occur at intrinsic and extrinsic interfaces are critical for developing engineering strategies for the next generation of energy dense batteries. However, buried solid|solid interfaces are notoriously difficult to observe with traditional bench-top and lab-scale experiments. In this talk I discuss opportunities for tracking phenomena and mechanisms in all-solid-state batteries in situ using advanced synchrotron techniques. Synchrotron techniques that combine reciprocal and real space techniques are capable of tracking multi-scale structural phenomena from the nano- to meso-scale. This talk will discuss the role microstructure plays on transport and interfacial properties that govern adhesion. Quantification of salient descriptors of structure in solid-state batteries is critical for understanding the mechanochemical nature of all-solid-state batteries.