Research
We focus on developing new battery technology through innovations in electrode materials and electrolyte design, together with the discovery of new battery chemistry. We are also committed to gaining fundamental understanding on various battery systems through diverse characterization techniques and theoretical calculations.
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Rechargeable Na/Cl2 and Li/Cl2 batteries
Na/Cl2 and Li/Cl2 batteries successfully turn the primary Li/SOCl2 battery into a rechargeable battery for the first time since its invention in the 1970s. Na/Cl2 and Li/Cl2 batteries operate based on the redox between either NaCl and Cl2 (Na/Cl2 battery) or LiCl and Cl2 (Li/Cl2 battery) and deliver a cycling capacity of up to 1200 mAh/g at room temperature and up to 5000 mAh/g at low temperatures down to -80 C with discharge voltage between ~ 3-3.5 V.
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Zhu, G.; Tian, X.; Tai, H.-C.; Li, Y.-Y.; Li, J.; Sun, H.; Liang, P.; Angell, M.; Huang, C.-L.; Ku, C.-S.; Hung, W.-H.; Jiang, S.-K.; Meng, Y.; Chen, H.; Lin, M.-C.; Hwang, B.-J.; Dai, H., Rechargeable Na/Cl2 and Li/Cl2 batteries. Nature 2021, 596 (7873), 525-530.
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Zhu, G.; Liang, P.; Huang, C.-L.; Huang, C.-C.; Li, Y.-Y.; Wu, S.-C.; Li, J.; Wang, F.; Tian, X.; Huang, W.-H.; Jiang, S.-K.; Hung, W.-H.; Chen, H.; Lin, M.-C.; Hwang, B.-J.; Dai, H., High-Capacity Rechargeable Li/Cl2 Batteries with Graphite Positive Electrodes. Journal of the American Chemical Society 2022, 144 (49), 22505-22513.
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Zhu, G.; Liang, P.; Huang, C.-L.; Wu, S.-C.; Huang, C.-C.; Li, Y.-Y.; Jiang, S.-K.; Huang, W.-H.; Li, J.; Wang, F.; Hwang, B.-J.; Dai, H., Shedding light on rechargeable Na/Cl2 battery. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2023, 120 (39), e2310903120.
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Liang, P.**; Zhu, G.**; Huang, C.-L.; Li, Y.-Y.; Sun, H.; Yuan, B.; Wu, S.-C.; Li, J.; Wang, F.; Hwang, B.-J.; Dai, H., Rechargeable Li/Cl2 Battery Down to -80 °C. Advanced Materials 2023, 2307192.
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Aluminum/graphite battery using ionic liquid electrolytes
Rechargeable battery using aluminum metal as the negative electrode, graphite as the positive electrode, and imidazolium-based or pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquids as the electrolyte was developed. The battery can cycle at a temperature of as low as -40 C with an ultrafast C-rate of 6 C for more than 20,000 cycles. Various techniques such as operando XRD, Raman, and theoretical calculations were employed to understand the battery's operating mechanism.
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Pan, C.-J.**; Yuan, C.**; Zhu, G.**; Zhang, Q.**; Huang, C.-J.; Lin, M.-C.; Angell, M.; Hwang, B.-J.; Kaghazchi, P.; Dai, H., An operando X-ray diffraction study of chloroaluminate anion-graphite intercalation in aluminum batteries. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2018, 115 (22), 5670-5675.
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Zhu, G.; Angell, M.; Pan, C.-J.; Lin, M.-C.; Chen, H.; Huang, C.-J.; Lin, J.; Achazi, A. J.; Kaghazchi, P.; Hwang, B.-J.; Dai, H., Rechargeable aluminum batteries: effects of cations in ionic liquid electrolytes. RSC Advances 2019, 9 (20), 11322-11330.