Overview
Creating a sustainable energy future while protecting our environment is one of the most crucial challenges facing humanity today. To decarbonize our energy landscape, we need to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and turn to renewable (but intermittent) energy sources such as solar and wind power. In the Seh research group, we are broadly interested in the development of new materials for energy storage and conversion. Our research focuses on two main areas:
(1) Batteries for advanced energy storage - to power both stationary and electromobile applications by storing and releasing renewable energy on demand.
(2) Electrocatalysts for efficient energy conversion - to produce a broad range of important fuels and chemicals by coupling electrocatalysis to renewable energy.
(1) Batteries for advanced energy storage - to power both stationary and electromobile applications by storing and releasing renewable energy on demand.
(2) Electrocatalysts for efficient energy conversion - to produce a broad range of important fuels and chemicals by coupling electrocatalysis to renewable energy.
Batteries
The goal is to investigate new battery chemistries that can overcome the theoretical energy limits of conventional lithium-ion batteries today. High-energy and low-cost technologies based on sodium, magnesium and aluminum batteries are among the most promising candidates. Using concepts from materials chemistry and physics, we design novel battery materials (cathode, anode, electrolyte), understand structure-property relationships, and construct battery prototypes. Theory computations and machine learning are also used to accelerate the development of practical batteries for portable electronics, electric vehicles, grid energy storage, etc.
Technologies of interest include:
Technologies of interest include:
- Sodium batteries
- Magnesium batteries
- Aluminum batteries
Electrocatalysts
The aim is to develop active and selective electrocatalysts that can convert simple molecules in the atmosphere (e.g. water, carbon dioxide and nitrogen) into value-added chemicals of global importance (e.g. hydrogen, oxygen, hydrocarbons, oxygenates and ammonia). We design new electrocatalyst materials with precise control over their shape, size and composition, to increase the rate and selectivity of the chemical transformations involved. With the help of advanced characterization and theoretical calculations, we seek to understand broader catalytic trends and elucidate underlying reaction mechanisms.
Reactions of interest include:
Reactions of interest include:
- Hydrogen evolution
- Carbon dioxide reduction