Invited Seminar Prof. Martin Bazant (MIT)
Tuesday July 18th at 11am in the HUB theater Prof. Martin Bazant (MIT) will give a seminar entitled : "Control of Phase Transformations in Rechargeable Batteries".
Control of Phase Transformations in Rechargeable Batteries
Martin Z. Bazant
E. G. Roos (1944) Professor of Chemical Engineering and Mathematics
Executive Officer, Department of Chemical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The rapid, stable cycling of rechargeable batteries requires well-controlled phase transformations of the redox active materials in each electrode, between the charged and discharged states. Three kinds of examples will be discussed: 1) In Li-ion batteries, common intercalation materials, such as graphite and iron phosphate, undergo phase separation (into Li-rich and Li-poor phases), which limits the power density and leads to degradation. A general mathematical theory1,2, supported by recent x-ray imaging experiments3, will be presented that shows how phase separation can be controlled by “electro-autocatalysis” via concentration-dependent exchange current. 2) In Li-air batteries, the same theory, applied to lithium peroxide electrodeposition4, reveals a fundamental rate limitation, unfortunately far below the needs of electric vehicles. 3) Finally, in Li-metal batteries, theoretical and experimental results will be presented for the stability of lithium electrodeposition5, as required for safety and long cycle life.
[1] M. Z. Bazant, Faraday Discussions, in press (2017). arxiv.org/abs/1704.00608
[2] M. Z. Bazant, Accounts of Chemical Research, 46 (5), pp 1144-1160 (2013).
[3] J. Lim et al. Science 353, 566-571 (2016).
[4] B. Horstmann et al, J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 4, 4217-4222 (2013).
[5] P. Bai et al. Energy Environ. Sci. 9, 3221-3229 (2016).
Biography
Martin Z. Bazant is the E. G. Roos (1944) Professor of Chemical Engineering and Mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After a PhD in Physics at Harvard University (1997), he joined the MIT faculty in Mathematics (1998) and then Chemical Engineering (2008), where he currently serves as Executive Officer. His research combines theory, computation and experiments in diverse fields, with emphasis on electrochemistry and electrokinetics. His contributions have been recognized by the Alexander Kuznetsov Prize in Theoretical Electrochemistry (ISE), ISE Fellow, Global Climate and Energy Project Chair (Stanford), Paris Sciences Chair (ESPCI), Brilliant Ten (Popular Science), Lighthill Lecture in Applied Mathematics (IMA), Winchell Lecture in Materials Science (Purdue), and Corrsin Lecture in Fluid Dynamics (Johns Hopkins). He serves on the editorial boards of SIAM Journal of Applied Mathematics, Scientific Reports, and Current Opinion in Colloid and Inteface Science and is the Chief Scientific Advisor for Saint Gobain Ceramics and Plastics, Northboro R&D Center.
