CBE & MSE Seminar: Nanostructured and Nanocomposite Materials for Next Generation Li-Ion Batteries

Friday, March 8, 2019 - 3:00 p.m. to Saturday, March 9, 2019 - 3:55 p.m.
McDonnell Douglas Engineering Auditorium (MDEA)
Gleb Yushin

School of Materials Science and Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA

Abstract: Energy density and cost of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) based on conventional intercalation compounds are closely approaching their limits. The reliance of conventional cathodes on the use of toxic metals additionally endangers health and safety of miners in developing countries. Conversion-type active materials offer an opportunity to double energy stored in LIBs, reduce their cost by the same factor, and improve cell safety. These materials may be produced from safer, cheaper and globally available resources and contribute to accelerated adoption of electric transportation. Formation of effective nanocomposites is likely a necessity for the successful commercialization of conversion-type electrodes. I will discuss approaches taken by our laboratory to address current challenges of such materials. Conventional polymer separators for LIBs suffer from limited mechanical strength and low thermal stability, which may lead to thermal runaway and cell explosion. I will discuss our studies on the low-cost formation of flexible, binder-free, nonwoven separators composed of alumina nanowires that overcome the known limitations.

Bio: Gleb Yushin is a Professor in the School of Materials & Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and a Member of the Board of Directors at Sila Nanotechnologies, Inc., an engineered materials company he co-founded in 2011 to dramatically improve energy storage technologies and an Editor-in-Chief for Materials Today, the flagship journal of the Materials Today family, dedicated to covering the most innovative, cutting edge and influential work of broad interest to the materials science community. Dr. Yushin received a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science from NCSU in 2003. Since graduation, Dr. Yushin has focused his research efforts on synthesis and characterization of nanostructured and nanocomposite materials for energy-related applications. For his contributions to this field he received numerous awards and recognitions, including NASA Nanotech Briefs® Nano 50™ Award, Petroleum Research Fund Young Investigator Award, Honda Initiation Award, Air Force Office of Scientific Research Young Investigator Program Award, R&D 100 Award, National Science Foundation CAREER Award, NASA Inventions and Contributions Board Tech Brief Award, Kavli Fellow Award, Sigma Xi Best Faculty Paper Award, among others. Most recently, he was selected by the New York Academy of Sciences as the Finalist and Honoree of the prestigious Blavatnik Award for Young Scientists (2017 and 2018), was recognized as one of the leading and most cited researchers in the sciences from around the world by Clarivate Analytics, was distinguished as one of the 20 members of Electrochemical Society with the “World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” and was elected to the Hall of Fame in NCSU. Dr. Yushin has co-authored over 150 peer-reviewed publication, over 40 US and International Patents and Patent applications and over 120 invited & keynote presentations and seminars. The current research activities of his laboratory are focused on synthesis and characterization of nanostructured and nanocomposite materials for use in advanced lithium–ion, aqueous and solid state batteries, supercapacitors and lightweight structural materials and composites. 

 

Host: Plamen Atanassov