Rechargeable batteries

Energy storage technologies are at the forefront of the efforts of technology entrepreneurs and researchers in the field of renewable energy. Since the charge storage capacities and characteristics of electrode materials determine the overall performances of rechargeable batteries, the development of highly efficient and economically feasible electrode materials is indispensable for the commercialization of high-performance energy storage systems. Our research group is currently conducting studies to develop electrode materials for rechargeable batteries, such as Li-ion/Na-ion batteries and Zn-O2/Li-O2 batteries.  

Electrocatalyst

The deepening crisis of climate change and the depletion of fossil fuels evoke a great deal of research activity for the exploration of environmental-friendly and renewable energy resources. Energy production and conversion technologies such as fuel cells, water electrolyzers, metal-air batteries, and photoelectrochemical cells are at the center of the efforts of many researchers in the field of renewable energy. Electrocatalysts active for various reactions play a crucial role in these energy technologies. For various electrocatalyst applications, noble metal-based materials boast excellent electrocatalytic activities with low overpotentials and high current densities. However, the high cost and limited abundance of these materials have impeded their large-scale applications for renewable energy technologies. Our research group aims to develop economically-feasible materials with high catalytic activities. 

Supercapacitor

Among the diverse practical energy storage and conversion technologies reported to date, supercapacitors have attracted considerable research interest due to their high power densities, large capacities, long cycle lives, and quick charge-discharge processes. Since the charge storage process near the surface of electrode mainly governs the overall performance of supercapacitor, the selection of suitable electrode materials with appropriate porous architecture is a crucial factor to optimize the functionality of the supercapacitor. For the exploration of high-performance supercapacitor electrodes, there are critical design factors. Our research group is currently conducting studies to develop electrode materials for supercapacitors with high power densities and long cycle lives. 

Advanced characterization for electrodes/electrocataysts

Despite intense research efforts devoted to electrocatalyst and electrode materials, there has been a serious lack of deep insight into reaction mechanisms, which frustrates the development of efficient electrocatalysts and electrodes. It is therefore necessary to elucidate the electrochemical reaction mechanism for designing and synthesizing efficient electrode/electrocatalyst materials. Importantly, monitoring the changes in atomic and electronic structures of active sites under realistic working conditions is crucial for the rational design of efficient electrode/electrocatalysts. To address this issue, it is necessary to establish up-to-date in situ spectroscopic techniques like XRD, FT-IR, NMR, XANES/EXAFS, Raman, EPR, etc. Our research group is currently conducting studies to understand the electrochemical mechanism with in situ/ex situ techniques.