Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion
Welcome to LESC !
The goal of the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion (LESC), at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, is to design and develop new functional nano-materials and nano-structures for advanced energy storage and conversion applications. Conversion of raw materials into usable energy and storage of the energy produced are common aspects of everyday life. The development of new materials to improve upon current capabilities is a key technological challenge of the 21st century. Advances will allow smaller more powerful batteries and will provide a greater ability to harness more sustainable energy sources. Our research focuses on the direct integration of novel experimental techniques with ab initio computation methods for rational materials characterization and design.
Recent News
Our latest work exploring the pressure effects on Li metal anode cycling has been published in Nature Energy!
This work studies the behavior of Li metal during deposition and dissolution when different uniaxial stacking pressures are present. Based on the experimental finding and computational results, we propose a key factor to enable facile Li metal anode cycling by...
Our work on implementing Si anode in all solid-state battery is published in Science! Congrats Dr. Tan!
This new work offers a promising solution to the silicon anode problem by reducing the use of carbon material to mitigate the side reactions, and confining the volumetric change by external pressure. The findings from this study open up a new territory for...
Our paper on developing a new sodium ion conductor is published in Nature Communications! Congrats!
This work demonstrates a new sodium-ion conductor for solid-state sodium-ion (SSSB) batteries that is stable when incorporated into higher-voltage oxide cathodes. A SSSB comprising a composite cathode, Na3PS4 electrolyte, and Na-Sn anode exhibits an exceptional...
A Printed AgO-Zn Rechargeable Battery For Flexible Electronics
Researchers from UC San Diego and ZPower have developed a flexible, rechargeable AgO-Zn battery with greater areal energy density, which can fabricated by screen printing under normal lab conditions.
More scientific and technical details at: https://www.cell.com/joule/pdf/S2542-..
Launch Celebration Of The Institute For Materials Discovery And Design (IMDD) At UC San Diego
This video covers a keynote address by Nobel Laureate Stanly Whittingham, talks from IMDD faculty members and an overview from IMDD director Shirley Meng. Find more details about IMDD: https://imdd.ucsd.edu/
Credit to JacobsSchoolNews team!
N95 Masks Reuseability – A Material Scientist’s Perspective
A short sharing of a material scientist’s perspective on reusing N95 masks after disinfection treatments
Credit to Dr. Y. Shirley Meng, Darren T.S. Tan, Dr. Chengcheng Fang, Diyi Cheng
Battery Innovations To Energise Earth’s Low-Carbon Future – Efforts At LESC And SPEC Center
Read the story here: https://www.scmp.com/presented/tech/topics/asia-2030/article/3080045/how-innovators-university-california-san-diego
New Vision For MRS Energy & Sustainability From Shirley As Editor-In-Chief
Y. Shirley Meng, Editor-in-Chief of MRS Energy & Sustainability, discusses her vision for the journal.
Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcgxr2fmb3M&feature=youtu.be
Solid State Batteries & The Future Of Energy Storage
Introduction and Advances of SOLID STATE LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES!
Credit to solid-state team in LESC:
Erik Wu, Dr. Han Nguyen, Jerry Yang, Dr. Jean-Marie Doux, Dr. Abhik Banerjee, Darren H.S. Tan and Sabrina Richardson
Batteries Of The Future Made With Salt
LESC’s efforts to clear hurdles for the development of sodium-based rechargeable batteries.
Produced by Kate Tobin from Science Nation
Power To The Batteries – New Center Promises Better Batteries For Low Carbon Future
Read the story here: https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/index.php/feature/power_to_the_batteries