Buddha's Group

Energy Materials & Storage Systems (EMS²) Group

Rethinking energy storage from materials to integrated devices

Institute for Materials Discovery (IMD) | University College London (UCL)

The Energy Materials & Storage Systems (EMS²) Group investigates the fundamental science connecting energy materials, electrochemical processes, and functional devices. We seek to understand how electrode architecture, ion and electron transport, interfacial evolution, and redox chemistry interact across length scales and how these interactions ultimately determine energy, power, lifetime, safety, and sustainability. Our research combines materials synthesis, micro- and nanofabrication, advanced electrochemistry, in-situ/operando characterisation, and device engineering. Particular interests include rechargeable batteries, microscale and on-chip energy storage, sustainable batteries, 3D electrode architectures, dynamic interfaces and electrolytes, emerging redox chemistry, and photo-responsive energy storage. A major focus of our research is understanding electrochemistry under microscale confinement, where restricted material inventories, short transport distances, evolving interfaces, and device geometry can fundamentally reshape electrochemical behaviour. By uncovering these mechanisms and translating them into new materials, architectures, and devices, we aim to establish design principles for high-energy, high-power, safe, and sustainable energy-storage technologies.

Our Research

Microbatteries & Microscale Electrochemistry

A microbattery is not simply a smaller battery.

We investigate how electrochemical behaviour changes when batteries are confined to micrometre-scale dimensions. Restricted active-material inventories, short transport distances, narrow electrode gaps, heterogeneous electric fields and large interface-to-volume ratios can make processes that are secondary in bulk cells dominant in microbatteries. We seek to establish quantitative relationships between device geometry, transport, electrochemical reactions and failure, and translate this understanding into integrated power sources for IoT, system-on-chip, biomedical, wearable and autonomous microsystems.

Research themes: • Microbatteries • On-chip energy storage • Microscale confinement • Interdigitated electrodes • Device integration

3D Electrode Architectures & Advanced Manufacturing

Can we store more energy without increasing device footprint?

We design porous and high-aspect-ratio 3D electrode architectures that increase electrochemically accessible active material while maintaining efficient ion and electron transport. Our research combines microfabrication, dynamic hydrogen-bubble templating, CNT-based superstructures and direct-write/Microplotter processing to understand how fabrication determines architecture and how architecture controls electrochemical performance.

Research themes: • 3D electrodes • CNT architectures • Porous current collectors • Microfabrication • Direct-write printing • Architectural densification

Metal Anodes, Interfaces & Electrolytes

Can an electrochemical interface repair itself while the electrode beneath it continuously changes?

We study metal nucleation, stripping/plating, dendrite formation, corrosion, electrolyte solvation and interphase evolution from fundamental mechanisms to device operation. We develop engineered electrolytes and adaptive interphases that regulate ion transport and stabilise dynamically evolving metal surfaces, with the goal of achieving high metal utilisation, long cycle life and safe aqueous energy storage.

Research themes: • Zn electrochemistry • Metal deposition • Self-healing interfaces • SEIs • Solvation • Dendrites

Emerging Redox Chemistry

Can more reversible electrons be stored within the same confined electrode volume?

We explore charge-storage chemistry beyond conventional single-redox and intercalation processes. Particular interests include multi-redox halogen chemistry, redox-species confinement and light–matter–electrochemistry coupling. By controlling redox speciation, reaction pathways and interfaces, we seek routes to increase charge storage and voltage without proportionally increasing electrode dimensions.

Research themes: • Multi-redox chemistry • Zn-halogen batteries • Redox densification • Photo-rechargeable batteries • Reaction mechanisms.

Frontier Question: Electrochemistry Under Microscale Confinement

What happens when the characteristic dimensions of a battery become comparable to the length scales governing ion transport, metal growth and interfacial evolution?

This question defines an emerging frontier in our research. In conventional batteries, device dimensions are often much larger than local transport and morphological length scales. In microbatteries, these scales can become comparable: electrode spacing can approach the dimensions of growing metal deposits; finite active-material inventories make irreversible losses critical; edges and tips can dominate local fields and current density; and interfaces can occupy a substantial fraction of the electrochemically active system. We aim to determine when electrochemical behaviour crosses from bulk-like to confinement-dominated regimes and to exploit this understanding to establish microscale-specific battery design rules.

Geometry → Fields & Transport → Reactions → Interfaces → Failure / Reversibility → Device Performance.

Work With Us

Interested in understanding and redefining how energy is stored?

We welcome motivated PhD researchers, postdoctoral researchers, visiting researchers, and MSc students who want to work at the interface of electrochemistry, materials science, micro/nanofabrication, and energy-storage devices.

We also welcome collaborations with academic researchers, industry partners, and technology developers interested in fundamental and applied challenges in next-generation energy storage. Our current interests include battery materials, Metal-ion batteries, microbatteries and microscale energy storage, 3D electrode architectures, advanced manufacturing, interfaces and electrolytes, in-situ/operando characterisation, multi-redox chemistry, and photo-responsive energy-storage technologies.

EMS² group research is funded by