Each seminar highlights a different speaker who will discuss their latest research projects, cutting-edge technology or what is happening within certain technological industries. These industries include biomedical technologies or microsystems, assistive technologies, automation and intelligent systems, unmanned systems, advanced manufacturing and composite materials.
Topic:
Phase-field Simulation of Li Dendrite Growth in Lithium Metal Battery
Abstract:
The ever-growing demand of wearable and mobile electronic devices, electric vehicles, grid-scale electrical storage, and other energy storage systems requires the advancement of lithium (Li) batteries of high energy density and improved stability and safety. One of the most promising approaches is to replace the existing graphite anode in Li-ion batteries with the lithium metal anode, which has the highest theoretical capacity (3860 mAh/g), low density (0.53g/cm3), and lowest negative electrochemical potential (-3.04V vs. standard hydrogen electrode). However, a critical issue that impedes the wide application of Li metal battery is the uncontrollable Li-ion electrodeposition in the form of Li dendrites or filaments. These needle- or branch-like dendrites can eventually penetrate the separator of the cell, which creates serious problems such as lowered Coulombic efficiency, large mechanical deformation of the electrodes, reduced battery life cycles, and catastrophic internal short circuit. In the first part of this seminar, I will review the underlying physical and electrochemical mechanisms of Li plating and stripping, as well as the existing theoretical and experimental studies on the inhibition of Li dendrite formation and growth. Next, I will demonstrate our recent work on phase-field simulation of the mechanical suppression of Li dendrite growth in solid electrolyte of Li metal batteries. Finally, I will discuss how the microstructure of the nanofillers embedded solid composite electrolyte can be tailored to regulate the Li-ion transport, and eventually to realize a smooth electrode/electrolyte interface during the electrodeposition. Our work provides a deeper understanding of the Li dendrite growth mechanism, as well as a design strategy for the solid composite electrolyte for improved Li anode stability.
Biography:
Dr. Ye Cao is an Assistant Professor in the Departments of Materials Science and Engineering at University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). He is also a member of the Institute for Predictive Performance Methodologies (IPPM) at the UTA Research Institute. Before joining UTA, he was a Postdoc Research Associate in the Center of Nanophase Materials Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Cao obtained his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and
Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on the mesoscale phasefield simulations, and machine learning in materials sciences. His current topics include charge transport in oxide-based resistive random-access memories, interfacial stability in Li batteries, and ferroelectric domain structure and switching in multi-functional ferroelectric thin films and heterostructures. Dr. Cao has authored/co-authored ~ 50 journal publications. His research projects have been sponsored by National Science Foundation and American Chemical Society.
Date:
December 3, 2021
Time:
10:45am
Location: