Energy Storage Devices

Modern technological advancements critically depend on efficient energy storage devices (batteries). Among the various candidate battery technologies, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are at the forefront of research and consumer use; however, the raw materials used in LIBs (namely, lithium and cobalt) are neither earth-abundant nor evenly distributed globally (creating geopolitical tensions, particularly in the case of Co). The anticipated depletion in raw materials, along with the rising demand for energy storage devices, has prompted significant interest in beyond-lithium ion batteries.

Among the viable alternatives to LIBs, multivalent batteries, such as magnesium-ion, calcium-ion, and zinc-ion batteries, have attracted significant attention as next-generation electrochemical energy storage devices. In our group, we examine and predict the suitable anode, cathode, and electrolyte materials for these next-generation batteries. Moreover, using large-scale quantum mechanical simulations, we study the formation and evolution of solid-electrolyte interphases in these batteries.

Relevant Publications


  1. Sharma SRKC Yamijala, Hyuna Kwon, Juchen Guo, Bryan M Wong. Stability of Calcium Ion Battery Electrolytes: Predictions from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 13, 11, 13114–13122, (2021). Full text