This $326,350 Project Grant, awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program, supports collaborative research at the University of Delaware and Arizona State University to identify structural features of open framework materials based on silicon, germanium, and tin that can promote fast sodium-ion diffusion. The research aims to better understand the electrochemical behavior of these materials and how their structural properties...
This Project Grant award of $178,617 from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports research on defect and surfactant mediated electrochemical deposition of lithium and sodium. The goal is to develop transformative electrodeposition methods to create atomically flat surfaces that prevent dendrite formation, which can improve the storage capacity and charging rate of lithium-ion and sodium-based batteries. The research, conducted...
This $640,000 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences (CFDA 47.049) program supports research on developing new sodium-based mixed glass former (MGF) mixed oxy-sulfide-nitride (MOSN) glassy solid electrolytes (GSEs) for advanced energy storage applications. The primary objectives are to: 1) prepare and characterize these novel Na-based MGF MOSN GSEs, and 2) conduct fundamental studies on Na+ ion conduction mechanisms in these...
This $464,405 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Chemistry under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports research conducted by Professor Evgeny Dikarev of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany. The project focuses on developing new synthetic methodologies to prepare carbon-coated battery materials using single-source carbonaceous precursors. The goal is to create innovative, cost-effective rechargeable...
This $455,286 federal Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Materials Research supports research at the University of New Mexico (UNM) to explore over-stoichiometric disordered rock salts as potential lithium-ion and sodium-ion battery cathode materials. The key objectives are to: 1) develop a new series of over-stoichiometric Li(Na)-Ti-Mn(Fe)-O-F-based disordered rock salts, 2) characterize their crystallographic, electronic, and vibrational properties,...
This $664,749 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Materials Research under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences Federal Grant Program (CFDA 47.049) aims to study the reaction pathway and crystallization dynamics for solution-based synthesis of lithium thiophosphate solid electrolytes. The award supports a collaborative research effort between Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Saft America, a leading battery manufacturer, to understand the underlying...
This $349,361 federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049) supports fundamental research by Professors Chao Luo and Andre Clayborne of George Mason University into the electrochemistry of carboxylate compounds for use as anodes in rechargeable sodium and potassium batteries. The research aims to develop a deeper understanding of the correlation between chemical structure and electrochemical performance of these...
This $255,700 National Science Foundation Project Grant supports the development of sodium-based solid-state batteries for stationary energy storage by Unigrid LLC. The company will advance a novel halide-based sodium solid-state electrolyte material with the goal of improving its ionic conductivity by one to two orders of magnitude. Additionally, the company will explore scalable room-temperature synthesis routes. This research aims to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy generation by...
The National Science Foundation awarded a $2.7 million Project Grant to The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania under the Mathematical and Physical Sciences program (CFDA 47.049). The grant supports research to develop a sustainable route to 3D solid-state sodium-ion battery manufacturing through direct ink writing and capillary rise infiltration. Sub-awards were provided to Florida International University, Stanford University, Drexel University, and Xerion Advanced Battery Corp. to...
The National Science Foundation awarded a $241,299 Project Grant to the University of Notre Dame's Notre Dame Research division to develop innovative electrolytes for intermediate-temperature sodium-sulfur and potassium-sulfur batteries. The goal is to identify new solvents that can dissolve the insoluble reaction products formed during battery discharge, enabling higher specific capacity and energy density. The research will utilize a simulation-driven approach combining molecular dynamics...
This $364,168 federal Project Grant award, provided through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Mathematical and Physical Sciences Division (CFDA 47.049), supports collaborative research between Arizona State University and the University of Delaware to study the structural features and ion transport properties of sodium-based tetrelide materials for improved sodium-ion battery technologies. The research aims to: (1) understand structural characteristics that promote high ionic mobility in tetrelide clathrate and related materials, (2) investigate ionic transport within these phases, (3) re-evaluate phase equilibria in sodium-tetrelide systems using novel synthesis approaches, and (4) leverage electrochemistry and solid-state synthesis to enable new energy-related bulk materials. This multidisciplinary effort combines expertise in materials synthesis, structural characterization, and computational modeling to advance fundamental understanding of sodium-ion diffusion, with the goal of developing improved materials for sodium-ion batteries as an emergent energy storage technology.