Polymer Membranes for Energy & Environment
My group will focus on fundamental understanding and molecular design of polymer membranes, which are integral components in various E-Chem and separation systems. Advancement in understanding and innovative design of polymer membranes have the potential to significantly enhance system operation performance.
We will employ a combination of chemistry design, advanced characterization, high-throughput instrumentation and modeling approaches to develop membranes with improved transport properties, selectivity, and stability. We are interested in energy and environment related applications such as redox flow batteries, fluorine-free Nafion replacement membranes, and transition metal selective membrane for battery recycling.
Past Research Areas
Model Membrane Salt Solubility for Li Extraction
Membrane-based separations are energy-efficient and ideal for lithium extraction processes. Depending on whether Li is sourced from brine or hard rock, either chloride or sulfate salts are involved. Ion pairing describes the association between cations and anions in salts, increasing from chloride to sulfate salts.
I examined Li, Na, and Li salt solubility in a common styrenic cation exchange membrane using mathematical models. While accounting for ion pairing showed minor improvement for chloride salts, it became increasingly significant for sulfate salts, especially with cations of larger ionic radii.
Design Polymer Electrolytes for Safer Batteries
Existing Lithium-ion batteries are extremely flammable. Most solutions to address this issue have significant shortcomings: hard to manufacture, low ionic conductivity, still flammable.
I developed a brand new class of electrolytes, called SAFE (Solvent-Anchored non-Flammable Electrolyte). SAFE solved the challenge of making a safe electrolyte which is both functional and practically manufacturable - a puzzle which has stumped battery researchers for more than three decades.
A solvent-anchored non-flammable electrolyte, Matter, 2023
Media Highlights on SAFE
United State: C&EN, Materials Today, Stanford Engineering, Stanford Linear Accelerator SLAC, Interesting Engineering, Science Daily, Mining.com, InceptiveMind, Plasticstar, New Atlas, Freethink, Futurity, BusinessNews, AZoMaterials, cnbeta, Cleantechnica China: Tencent - 腾讯 Germany: Efehrer Vietnam: Thanh Niên Japan: Gadget Gate Spain: forococheselectricos Turkey: cevirihaber, and more
Engineer Stable Interfaces for Li Metal Electrodes
Li-metal battery is widely regarded as the next generation energy storage device for its high energy density. However, its stable long-term operation is hindered by the unstable interface between the Li-metal and the electrolyte. I design polymer materials to target each step of the unstable Li deposition.
Tune SEI Chemistry, Reaction:
A salt-philic solvent-phobic interfacial coating design for lithium metal electrodes, Nature Energy, 2023
Cover Pinholes, Interface Integrity:
Effects of Polymer Coating Mechanics at Solid‐Electrolyte Interphase for Stabilizing Lithium Metal Anodes, Advanced Energy Materials, 2021
Homogenize Li+ Flux, Charge Distribution:
Charge-induced dynamics in electro-responsive polymer interfaces and its role in enabling stable deposition of metallic lithium, JACS, 2020
Ion conducting polymer interfaces for lithium metal anodes: Impact on the electrodeposition kinetics, under review, Advanced Energy Materials, 2022
Journal and Media Highlight
a. Min-Sik Park, Jung Ho Kim, Salt-philic and solvent phobic, Nature Energy, 8, 558-559, 2023
b. Ingrid Fadelli, A strategy to induce the formation of a stable salt-derived solid electrolyte interphase in lithium metal batteries, Tech Xplore, May 2023