Energy Storage Devices

Energy Storage Devices (Li-Batteries and Supercapacitors)

In lithium-ion batteries, their performance and safety/stability critically depend on the properties of polymeric materials such as binders, electrolytes, and additives. For example, polymeric binders are essential for maintaining the structural and electrical integrity of electrodes. However, conventional binders struggle to maintain stability under high-stress conditions, such as thick electrode designs or high-voltage operations, limiting energy density improvements. Our research focuses on the rational molecular design and optimization of polymeric binders to overcome these challenges. Through tailoring polymer structures and functional groups, we aim to enhance battery stability, charge/discharge rates, and capacity. In addition, our expertise on the ionic conductor design/synthesis and tuning ion dynamics is exploited to develop new solid-state polymer electrolytes for next-generation batteries. 

Functional supercapacitors, including electrochromic supercapacitors (ECSs) that integrate energy storage with visual energy state indication, are promising candidates for ultra-small smart electronics. ECSs rely on electrochromic (EC) chromophores for charge storage through redox reactions. Therefore, our research has advanced high-performance ECSs by optimizing ion diffusion dynamics in single-layer designs and developing nanostructured inorganic EC films. Additionally, we are exploring stretchable supercapacitors and high-performance micro-supercapacitors as part of our efforts to innovate in this field.