Better Energy Storage Technologies are Urgently Needed

In view of accelerating climate change, the transition to an environmentally sustainable energy economy is among the most pressing global challenges. Recent years have seen tremendous progress in the generation of clean electric energy from renewable sources such as photovoltaic and wind turbines. However, the potential of renewable energy resources remains largely untapped because energy storage technology is lacking behind: Grid-level energy storage is needed to compensate for fluctuations in solar and wind energy production with the weather and the time of day; improved high-energy-density storage is needed for electric vehicles (and aircrafts) to become truly competitive with conventional combustion engines in range and refuel time.

Accellerated Materials Discovery using Computation

We are investigating materials for energy storage and conversion using computational techniques. Our goal is to contribute to the development of the next generation of batteries and fuel/electrolyzer cells. Our present research aims at understanding

• Surface and interface phenomena in batteries and fuel cells;
• Ionic transport mechanisms in inorganic solids; and the
• Extraction of metal species from oxides.

See below for current research directions and also the list of publications for a more complete picture of our research activities.