R.Wang Group @ MSU

Research Interests:

Cathode Additive Design and Electrolyte Engineering in Metal-Sulfur Batteries
Electrolyte Development of Al-Ion Batteries
Oxide and Sulfide Based Solid-State Electrolyte Development in All Solid-State Batteries
Shape/Size-Controlled Synthesis of Metal Oxides
Emission Control Catalysts; Support Structure Effect in Metal-Oxide Catalysis
Materials for Energy Capture, Storage, and Conversion
High Temperature Ceramics Processing
In Situ/Operando TEM Study of Dynamic Gas-Solid Catalysis and Solid-Solid Reactions at Atomic Level
Atomic Level Transmission Electron Microscopy and Spectroscopy of Solid-State Materials

Research Projects:

Metal-sulfur batteries: The metal-sulfur (M-S) batteries (including Li-S, Na-S, K-S, Mg-S, and Al-S) have up to 6x higher gravimetric energy density and 2x higher volumetric energy density compared to the Li-ion battery. Although rapid development of M-S battery has been achieved, several formidable technical issues have imposed great challenges to its commercialization, including the shuttle effect caused by the metal polysulfide diffusion, the insulating nature of sulfur, and the volume variation of the electrode during charge-discharge cycling process. The shuttle effect of metal polysulfides, results in rapid capacity decay and electrochemical performance degradation, which has become the biggest challenge that M-S battery system faces and has to be addressed urgently. Our research addresses the metal polysulfides shuttling by developing and engineering novel cathode additives and thin film coated separators for immobilizing metal polysulfides/enhancing conductivity/accelerating conversion reactions.

Al-ion battery: Aluminum ion battery (AIB) has received intensive attention from scientific and industrial community as one of the favorable post - lithium-ion battery technologies for economical and sustainable energy storage systems due to several very promising properties. First of all, aluminum is the most abundant metallic element in the earth’s crust. The practical natural source is vastly more widespread and low cost, making such AIB a possible alternative to lithium-ion battery for certain large-scale applications such as grid storage. Secondly, three electrons can be effectively transferred during cycling, leading to high theoretical volume and gravimetric specific capacity. However, the sluggish conversion and transfer of Al species in electrolytes, low intercalation/deintercalation capability of cathode, and dendrite formation on Al anode, make the realization of commercialization a real challenge. Our research goals are to (1) develop chloroaluminate ionic liquid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity, and (2) elucidate microscopic redox chemistry, transport and charge storage mechanism of chloroaluminate anions, and their stability challenges in ionic liquid electrolyte-based AIB.

CO2 and CH4 conversion via plasma catalysis: Non-equilibrium and non-thermal plasma catalysis is a promising low-temperature alternative to the traditional energy-intensive thermal activation for thermodynamically limited reactions. In non-thermal plasma, energetic electrons, accelerated by an electric field, collide with bulk gas molecules, breaking the chemical bonds and forming highly reactive species (e.g., ions and free radicals) at temperatures at which such species are inaccessible thermally. Therefore, the integration of non-thermal plasma into a catalytic reactor can harness this deposited “electrical” energy to affect otherwise difficult or impossible transformations, and in principle, bypass the thermodynamic equilibrium constraints that plague the approaches to many chemical conversions. Our research combines synthesis and characterization of surface-engineered catalysts, plasma diagnostic, and plasma chemistry simulation, aiming to derive a fundamental understanding of plasma-stimulated surface reactions for dry reforming methane and CO2 hydrogenation.

Battery component recycling and reuse: With the emergence of new electric vehicles (EVs) industries, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become an essential component in powering these vehicles. Among various LIBs, polyanionic LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode has been increasingly employed in EVs and energy storage systems (ESSs) due to the superiorities of high-temperature stability, environmental friendliness, and low cost. Considering the average 10-15 years life span of LIBs, it is urgently needed to continuously innovate our reuse and recycling strategies for spent LFP materials. In this project, our research goals are to develop and demonstrate technologically and economically viable reuse and recycling processes of spent LFP black mass via a salt-assisted roasting technique combined with wet-magnetic separation and carbon thermal reduction. At the end of this project, our team will demonstrate an economical, scalable, and environmentally friendly route for recycling spent LFP battery cathode materials with significantly enhanced efficiency and effectiveness and manufacturing potential of engineering ceramic parts in Michigan.

Research Sponsors:

National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund, Department of Transportation, Department of Energy, Michigan EGLE, and Michigan State University.