“Thermal and Ionic Transport in Solid Materials”, Asst. Prof. Matthias Agne, Chemistry
Next-generation energy and sustainability technologies, such as solid-state batteries, fuel cells and thermoelectrics, require a fundamental understanding of thermal, electronic and ionic transport of the constituent materials to realize successful devices. Although the transport of heat, electrons and ions is inherently atomic-scale, there is also emergent behavior that manifests at larger length-scales due to the presence of interfaces and defects in bulk materials. Thus, there is a critical need to not only understand the microscopic mechanisms of atomic-scale transport, but also develop hierarchical models to describe transport at length-scales relevant for engineering design. We are working to characterize the role of atomic vibrations (phonons) in the transport of heat and ions at the atomic scale, while also developing models of thermal and ionic transport that includes system-level complexity like interfaces and porosity.
Our REU student will help synthesize solid-state battery materials, typically within a week using standard high-temperature solid-state methods. Structural/compositional characterization (XRD, SEM/EDS), thermal diffusivity (laser flash analysis) and ionic conductivity (impedance spectroscopy) measurements can all reasonably be carried out within a 10-week timeframe.