Grant: Research Tools and Instruments

As we move toward an increasing electrification of society, there is a tremendous need for better-performing batteries. However, battery systems are complex and there are many processes in the charge and discharge that need to be understood to develop new materials and chemistries for more efficiency energy storage technologies. In particular, the interfaces and interphases in batteries are crucial for the lifetime, safety, and durability of the systems, but are difficult to characterize and monitor due to the nanoscale dimensions and evolving structure and chemistry during the battery operation. The requested Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation Monitoring (EQCM-D) is a state-of-the-art, non-invasive, and surface-sensitive technology for time-resolved and quantitative analysis of interfacial reactions and interactions at the anode-electrolyte and cathode-electrolyte interfaces in various battery systems, such as lithium-ion, zinc-ion, and solid-state batteries, and zinc-ion capacitors. The EQCM-D will provide invaluable information about the mass and mechanical properties, and the formation and evolution of interphases that otherwise cannot be extracted using other techniques. The EQCM-D will be an integral part of an in-situ characterization platform at the University of British Columbia, which will strong support the research and training programs in the design, development, and implementation of new energy storage technologies for a cleaner world.