ADVANCED MATERIALS RESEARCH GROUP

The central research theme of our group is to uncover inorganic materials with exotic physical and chemical properties. To pursue this goal, our group focus on synthetic inorganic chemistry of crystalline and amorphous materials, including nano to microporous amorphous solids, hetero-anionic composites, and ultra-low dense high surface area gels, nanoparticles, and deposition of the thin film. We converge numerous analytic tools, including Synchrotron X-ray Pair Distribution Functions (PDF) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XANES and EXAFS), to understand the synthesis, morphology, and structure-function relationships of the newly synthesized materials. The ultimate goal of synthesizing such diverse classes of materials is to discover innovative materials that meet the required properties for applications related to sustainable energy and the environment, specifically: 

(1) Environmental Remediation: 

(a) Remediation of radioactive ions from defense legacy tank waste

(b) Wastewater treatment for chemically toxic metals cations and oxo-anions

(c) Gaseous mercury and radio-iodine removal

(2) Electrochemical Energy Storage:  

(a) Electrode materials for Li- and Na-ion batteries for electric vehicles and grid-scale energy storage

(b) Incremental development of lithium oxide-based cathodes for fast-charged batteries. 

(c) Synthesis and fabrication of high energy density supercapacitor 

(3) Energy Conversion:  

(a) Electro-catalytic Hydrogen production as an alternative to carbon-based energy 

Moreover, our group is also working on understanding the room/low-temperature chemistry of uranium, a clean energy source for nuclear power production plants and a critical radioactive pollutant, and the extraction of critical metals, such as lanthanides, from aqueous systems. The following scheme outlines our current research relevant to materials development, understanding, and applications.