Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023)

My research program employs solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods to characterize ion dynamics and reaction pathways in materials. The focus is on developing better materials for alternative energy devices such as electric car batteries. Here, I propose to explore two important new domains: first, novel energy storage devices including sodium-air and sodium-ion electrochemical cells and second, applications for our MRI methodology to study reactions in situ.

Our long-term goal is to contribute to the development of commercially viable sodium air batteries (SABs) and sodium ion batteries (SIBs). This would benefit Canada by providing new clean, cost-effective energy storage technologies suitable to both grid-scale and vehicular energy storage. These technologically challenging devices will require innovation in materials characterization, design, and manufacturing, and achieving these milestones will contribute economic benefit to Canada.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging:
We have developed methodology for in situ evaluation of the ion concentration gradients and diffusion properties within functioning electrochemical cells. This strategy uses a combined magnetic resonance imaging and pulsed field gradient approach. These in situ MRI methods for probing electrochemical reactions are highly original within Canada, and implemented in less than ten institutions world-wide. Our MRI and solid-state NMR tools enable us to provided quantitative data on transport parameters that are not accessible by standard electrochemical measurements. These data are necessary for on-vehicle, real-time modeling of battery state-of-health.

Sodium Air Batteries: SABs represent an exciting high-energy density alternative to gasoline combustion engines. However, new materials are required, and their complex chemistry needs to be better understood. 23Na solid-state NMR is able to identify reaction products of the sodium-oxygen electrochemical reaction. This exciting new field is currently filled with un-answered questions related to reaction stability, reversibility, and pathway, all of which must be solved before such devices become commercially relevant.

Sodium Ion Batteries: We will utilize a combination of electrochemistry, solid-state NMR and electronic structure calculations to investigate the local structural environments of SIB cathode materials and solid-state electrolytes. Ion dynamics will also be measured, as they are a critical property of materials for electrochemical devices. My group has demonstrated a variety of NMR tools that are utilized for site-specific, quantitative evaluation of Li+ dynamics, and correlated to performance in lithium ion batteries. Here we will implement 23Na NMR spectroscopy for characterizing Na+ transport in both cathode and electrolyte materials in SIBs.