ChE Seminar Series: Chemo-mechanics and solid-state batteries

ChE Seminar Series Presents:

Dr. Kelsey Hatzell, Ph.D

Assistant Professor in the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Princeton University

Chemo-mechanic and solid-state batteries

Abstract: Transportation accounts for 23% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and electrification is a pathway toward ameliorating these growing challenges.  All solid-state batteries could potentially address the safety and driving range requirements necessary for widespread adoption of electric vehicles. However, the power densities of all-solid-state batteries are limited because of ineffective ion transport at solid|solid interfaces. New insight into the governing physics that occur at intrinsic and extrinsic interfaces are critical for developing engineering strategies for the next generation of energy-dense batteries. However, buried solid|solid interfaces are notoriously difficult to observe with traditional bench-top and lab-scale experiments. In this talk, I discuss opportunities for tracking phenomena and mechanisms in all solid-state batteries in-situ using advanced synchrotron techniques. Synchrotron techniques that combine reciprocal and real space techniques are capable of tracking multi-scale structural phenomena from the nano- to meso-scale. This talk will discuss the role microstructure plays on transport and interfacial properties that govern adhesion. Quantification of salient descriptors of structure in solid-state batteries is critical for understanding the mechanochemical nature of all solid-state batteries.

Biography: Dr. Hatzell is an assistant professor at Princeton university in the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment and department of Mechanical and aerospace engineering. Hatzell’s group primarily work on energy storage and is particularly interested at using non-equilibrium x-ray techniques to probe batteries during operando experimentation.

Dr. Hatzell earned her Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering at Drexel University, her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and her B.S./B.A. in Engineering/Economics from Swarthmore College. Hatzell’s research group works on understanding phenomena at solid|liquid and solid|solid interfaces and works broadly i9n energy storage and conversion. Hatzell is the recipient of several awards including the ORAU Powe Junior Faculty Award (2017), NSF CAREER Award (2019), ECS Toyota Young Investigator Award (2019), finalist for the BASF/Volkswagen Science in Electrochemistry Award (2019), the Ralph “Buck” Robinson award from MRS (2019), Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry (2020), and POLiS Award of Excellence for Female Researchers (2021).

Please contact a.ramsey@northeastern.edu for the seminar link.