Abstract:

Advancements in electrochemical energy storage increasingly rely on the rational design of electrode and electrolyte materials, where entropy-driven strategies offer a powerful route to enhanced performance. In particular, sodium-ion batteries have emerged as promising alternatives to lithium-based systems because of the earth abundance and low cost of sodium resources. This talk will focus on the development of high-entropy materials and interfaces for sodium-ion batteries, highlighting how compositional complexity and tunable local environments can be leveraged to optimize electrochemical properties. We will discuss the entropic stabilization of nanostructured oxides and interfacial architectures that promote fast sodium-ion transport, improved electronic conductivity, and enhanced structural durability during cycling. Emphasis will be placed on synthesis strategies that enable favorable ion solvation/desolvation kinetics, accelerated charge-transfer processes, and stable electrode/electrolyte interfaces. In addition, recent insights into high-entropy oxides as robust platforms for regulating thermodynamic stability and ion-storage behavior will be presented. By using entropy as a central design principle, this work demonstrates new pathways toward high-performance sodium-ion batteries with improved rate capability, cycling stability, and long-term durability.

Abstract:

This talk will introduce the audience to the various zinc chemistries being developed and their versatility for a range of applications. Nickel-Zinc, Zinc-Manganese, Zinc-Ion, Zinc-Bromine and Zinc-Air rechargeable batteries will be discussed. Zinc supply chain is not dependent on China making it an excellent choice for national energy security. The net-zero energy transition requires the implementation of renewal energy, which is by nature intermittent and calls for energy storage to provide for a continuously operated grid. The demand for energy storage is forecasted to be very high and will require a diverse set of technologies to meet demand. Zinc batteries are one of the technologies that will be needed to support the energy storage demand of the future.

Abstract:

Ingevity, a publicly traded specialty materials company headquartered in the U.S., has formed strategic partnerships with multiple battery materials companies and developed in-house carbon-based battery materials. With more than 40 years providing specialty materials to solve gasoline emission challenges to automobile manufacturers, Ingevity is positioned to broaden its product line and provide solutions to the EV and energy storage market. This presentation will outline Ingevity’s roadmap for advancing materials like hard carbon for Na-ion batteries, addressing key technical challenges, and accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and grid energy storage. Hard carbon as an anode for Na-ion batteries faces issues such as limited reversible capacity and poor reversibility, restricting high energy density. Despite progress, commercially scalable and low-cost hard carbon remains scarce, particularly outside Asia. Ingevity has developed a low-cost, mass-producible, high-performance hard carbon (NuCharge® G3), which shows significantly higher electrochemical performance than the leading benchmark from Asia. The comparative benchmark hard carbon is widely used by major Na-ion cell manufacturers, and typically demonstrates a reversible capacity of approximately 300 mAh/g in standard carbonate-based electrolyte. Ingevity’s NuCharge® G3 hard carbon can deliver a reversible capacity of greater than 380 mAh/g in carbonate-based electrolyte, corresponding to more than a 25% capacity improvement. This capacity improvement enables cell manufacturers to save approximately 20wt% of hard carbon usage to deliver the same cell capacity either in commercial prismatic or cylindrical format cell.  Furthermore, the enhanced capacity can lead to a 9–15% increase in cell-level volumetric energy density, depending on cathode chemistry and cell design. Additionally, Ingevity’s NuCharge® G3 hard carbon demonstrated an even higher reversible capacity of over 410 mAh/g with a 93% first-cycle coulombic efficiency in ether-based electrolytes. As a well-established U.S.-publicly traded company, Ingevity is positioning itself to support the growth of North American and European EV and energy storage markets.

Abstract:

Behind-the-meter storage (BTMS) is a concept describing an energy storage system that is installed on the residential or industrial consumer’s side of the electric utility service meter. This allows batteries to provide extra power in response to changing demand when needed to avoid demand charges. This study demonstrates how battery design and operational adjustments optimize performance for BTMS systems by examining the balance between cost, cycle life, and safety. Batteries comprised of Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) and LiNi0.90Mn0.05Co0.05O2 (NMC90-5-5) were investigated by varying the upper termination voltage and the negative to positive (N/P) ratio. The upper termination voltage was varied between 2.6 V and 2.7 V to allow or block the utilization of capacity related to the H3 phase transition in NMC90-5-5. The N/P ratio was also varied below and above 1; because LTO operates well above the Li plating potential, cells can be safely designed with excess cathode (N/P < 1), which can enable excess Li inventory to be gradually accessed from the cathode to extend cycle life. The impact of upper termination voltage and N/P design variables on safety, performance, and cost is explored in this work.  Allowing the upper voltage to terminate at 2.7 V decreases initial cost and increases the energy density, but it also accelerates capacity fade and drastically reduces safety compared to the 2.6 V termination voltage. Accelerated rate calorimetry shows orders of magnitude higher heating rates for cells terminated at 2.7 V versus 2.6 V and differential scanning calorimetry confirms significant changes in heat flow with cathode termination potential. Designing cells with N/P < 1 leads to similar cost and energy density as N/P > 1 but increases cycle life relative to N/P > 1 because the anode can be fully utilized when cells are designed with N/P < 1 such that the cathode provides excess Li inventory. We show that these variables are very important for optimizing electrochemical performance, cost, and safety when developing BTMS systems. We will also comment on how these lessons learned for BTMS systems can be adapted to battery energy storage systems designed specifically for data center applications.

Drew J. Pereira1,=, Noah B. Schorr2,=, Yeyoung Ha1, Stephen E. Trask3, Nathan B. Johnson2, Kae E. Fink1, Yicheng Zhang1, Mark A. Rodriguez4, Jill Langendorf2, Martin Salazar2, Nichole R. Valdez4, Megan Diaz5, Glenn R. Teeter, , Maxwell C. Schulze1, Joseph J. Kubal3, Shabbir Ahmed3, Brian R. Perdue2, Anthony K. Burrell1, and Katharine L. Harrison1,*

1Materials, Chemical, and Computational Sciences Directorate, National Laboratory of the Rockies, Golden, CO, USA

2Power Sources Technology Group, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA

3Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, USA

4Materials Characterization & Performance, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA

5Energy Storage Technologies for Electric Grid Modernization, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA

=These authors contributed equally

*Presenting Author and Correspondence: Katie.Harrison@nlr.gov

Abstract:

Lithium metal has the potential to improve battery performance across multiple chemistries, but historically it has been difficult to incorporate in a way that is thin, uniform, and scalable. At the Beyond Lithium-ion Battery Conference, Elevated Materials CTO Subra Herle will discuss how ultra-thin lithium metal films can help address that challenge in his talk, “Ultra-Thin Lithium Metal Anodes Films for Next-Generation Devices,” on June 25, 2026. The session will explore how this approach can support higher energy density, faster charging, and more practical pathways to scale.

Abstract:

NFPP cathode and hard-carbon anode sodium-ion technology has reached a point of maturity that allows deployment in utility-scale stationary storage today, while leaving meaningful headroom for further improvement. This talk describes the current state of the chemistry from a deployment perspective: where cell-level properties align well with stationary duty cycles, where system-level design compensates for inherent characteristics, and where focused research could most productively advance the field. It frames sodium-ion not as a chemistry in waiting, but as one whose strengths and limitations are best evaluated against the requirements of the grid rather than against benchmarks set by electric mobility. The discussion includes a candid view of the technical questions that remain genuinely open, with particular attention to areas where contributions from the research community would have the greatest near-term impact.

Abstract: 

Venkata Sai Avvarua, Seonghun Jeonga, Haegyeom Kima*
a. Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
*Corresponding author: Dr. Haegyeom Kim (Email: haegyumkim@lbl.gov)

All solid-state Li metal batteries (ASSLBs) hold great promise as the future of energy storage due to their high energy and safety. In past years, several highly conductive solid-state electrolytes have been developed, making the solid-state battery system even more attractive. Nevertheless, several important challenges remain to be addressed before any ASSLBs can be competitive and outperform the existing Li-ion batteries. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the solid-state battery programs at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and discuss the important challenges in solid-state Li metal batteries, as well as our strategies and recent progress in suppressing Li metal dendrite formation and its propagation through the solid-state electrolyte for improved cycling performance. 

Abstract Coming Soon

Abstract:

Anode-free sodium metal batteries offer high energy density at lower costs than lithium-ion batteries, making them a promising alternative for portable electronics, transportation, and power grids. However, their practical implementation is hindered by side reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface. While significant advancements have been achieved through engineering approaches, such as optimizing electrolyte chemistry, interfacial properties, and electrode architecture, a universal electrolyte design principle remains elusive. This challenge stems from a lack of systematic characterization and fundamental understanding, limiting the rational development of electrolytes not only for sodium metal batteries but also for lithium metal, sodium-ion, and other emerging battery technologies. In this talk, I will discuss our recent work integrating Bayesian Optimization, Molecular Dynamics simulations and high-throughput electrochemical testing to accelerate electrolyte design, paving the way for the practical realization of anode-free sodium metal batteries.

Advances in all-solid-state batteries are predicated on the discovery and design of solid-state materials with desirable electrochemical properties. Our research seeks to understand the interplay of structure, disorder, and dynamics, and their combined impact on macroscopic electrochemical behavior. The first part of the seminar will highlight our targeted discovery of two new families of earth-abundant lithium metal halide solid-state electrolytes based on the halospinels Li2MgCl4 and Li2ZnCl4. Neutron total scattering studies reveal that systematic incorporation of higher-valent Zr4+ cations drives a redistribution of cations and vacancies that increase Li+ conductivity by multiple orders of magnitude. The second part of the talk will focus on our recent study on halide argyrodites of the general formula Li6PS5X (X = Cl–, Br–, I–). We recently developed a microwave-assisted synthesis method that enables preparation of argyrodites in less than 20 minutes. Local structure probes reveal rotational disorder of the thiophosphate (PS43–) tetrahedra. Through a custom structural modeling routine, we identified new structure-dynamics-property relationships that underpin fast lithium-ion transport behavior in these materials. Together, these efforts have sought to unite an understanding of static and dynamic disorder in solid-state electrolytes.

Abstract:

Safety in the battery industry is often viewed as binary, batteries that survive a certain type of abuse, or do not survive.  Impact abuse, nail penetration, overcharge, hard short, and ballistic abuse are some of the ways cells are abused.  Unfortunately, this leads to the concept that all cells that survive the abuse are the same, and all that don't are the same, but in the "fail" class.  Safety standards are the worst culprits, which set up a long series of tests to be passed, but then to achieve a commercial reality each test is numbed down to the point that most cells pass the full battery of tests.  In this talk a new concept will be presented in which cells are abused to failure along three metrics: electrical, thermal and physical abuse.  The abuse is started mild, and then continues aggressively until the cell fails.  The conditions of cell failure are used to give the cell a safety score along the three metrics.  The talk will finish with a summary of technologies that can improve the safety performance along each metric, and also a summary of which metrics are most relevant for different market segments such as EVTOL, BESS, EV, drones, robotics and others. 

Abstract:

The recent emergence and discovery of new ceramic ion conductors (CICs) with fast ionic conductivity at near-ambient temperatures creates the opportunity to push the frontiers of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. The ability to replace traditional liquid electrolytes with ceramics has the disruptive potential to improve safety and enable next generation technologies including solid-state batteries with metal anodes and impermeable membranes to prevent crossover in redox flow batteries for long-duration energy storage (LDES). Enabling the next generation of electrochemical conversion and storage, however, requires fundamental research to understand and control the emergent mechano-chemical environments that arise when CIC materials are interfaced with other dissimilar materials.

The underlying physics that control the stability and kinetics of all solid-state interfaces are fundamentally different from interfaces in state-of-the-art Li ion technology.  Moreover, the mechano-electrochemical phenomena that occur during discharge and charge at the Li-CIC interface are considerably different.  For example, during charging at higher rates Li metal filaments can initiate at defects and propagate through relatively hard ceramics.  During discharge, if the Li stripping rate is sufficiently high and the pressure and temperature is sufficiently low, voids form at the interface causing current focusing and eventual permanent degradation. 

The United States Department of Energy is supporting the collaborative and interdisciplinary project Mechano-chemical Understanding of Solid Ion Conductors (MUSIC). The overarching scientific mission of MUSIC is to reveal, understand, and model, and ultimately control the chemo-mechanical phenomena underlying the processing and electrochemical dynamics of CICs for clean energy systems. This presentation will consist of highlights from MUSIC to include topics such as anode-free manufacturing and operando impedance spectroscopy to analyze mechano-electrochemical phenomena at the Li-CIC interface.

References

1.     https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.5c00149
2.     https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-024-02055-z
3.     https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-024-02006-8

Abstract Coming Soon

Abstract:

Solid-state batteries are often considered safer than conventional lithium-ion batteries because they replace flammable liquid electrolytes with nonflammable solid electrolytes. This assumption is incomplete. Changes in electrolyte chemistry, metal anode reactivity, interfacial stability, and cell architecture can introduce new thermal and chemical failure pathways.

This work examines early safety assessment of emerging battery chemistries using differential scanning calorimetry microcells. Conventional DSC-based safety models often assume that full-cell heat release can be estimated from independent anode and cathode measurements. For solid-state systems, this approach can miss interaction-driven heat release from anode-cathode crosstalk, evolved gas reactions, solid-electrolyte decomposition, and lithium metal reactions.

Microcell measurements provide a small-material, early-stage method to capture coupled reactions among battery components before large-format cells are available. The results show that apparent safety benefits in solid-state batteries must be established through chemistry-specific, interaction-aware testing rather than inferred from the removal of flammable electrolyte. Early integration of microcell experiments and predictive modeling can improve hazard identification and guide safer battery design.

Abstract:

Sodium-ion batteries have garnered considerable attention as viable alternatives to lithium-ion systems, largely owing to the widespread availability and reduced cost of sodium. These batteries present notable advantages, including enhanced safety and suitability for large-scale energy storage grid applications. Nonetheless, sodium-ion batteries are often characterized by lower energy density and shorter operational lifespan relative to their lithium-based counterparts. Furthermore, challenges such as electrode stability, the formation of a complex SEI, and uncontrolled Na metal plating continue to impede their broader commercialization. This talk will focus on understanding –––to ultimately mitigate––– the uncontrolled sodium metal plating on hard carbon anodes. 

Hard carbon is the anode of choice for sodium-ion batteries, but at low potentials it stores Na through quasi-metallic Na nanoclusters. Whether this storage mechanism triggers uncontrolled Na metal plating or other factors such as pressure inhomogeneity, choice of electrolyte, or transition metal crossover play a substantial role is not well studied. In this talk, I will present our latest results from studying the effect of cathode choice on the propensity to plate Na metal and the chemical differences in the SEI with and without metal plating.

Abstract:

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become ubiquitous, powering devices from smartphones to electric vehicles. Recently, there is growing interest in batteries for electric aviation, with significantly higher requirements for energy density, power and safety than EVs. Despite their widespread use, LIBs continue to face safety challenges stemming from the flammability of conventional organic electrolytes. Typical liquid electrolytes in LIBs offer high ionic conductivity and good stability but are flammable. While solid-state electrolyte (SSE) materials offer enhanced safety, discovering new SSE candidates that combine high ionic conductivity with adequate stability remains an ongoing challenge. The computational search for candidates, both liquid- and solid-state, is challenging due to the vast sizes of the search spaces, high computational costs of ab initio property predictions, and limitations of traditional physics-based models. In search of new SSE materials, we developed a high-throughput screening (HTS) approach using bond-valence methods and graph neural networks to predict ionic conductivity and thermodynamic stability across tens of thousands of crystal structures. Additionally, we developed machine-learning potentials for performing molecular dynamics and accelerating harmonic-transition-state-theory workflows. Finally, we revisited the space of organic electrolytes by using graph neural networks to screen over one billion molecules for safer solvent molecules. Our work demonstrates how machine learning can accelerate the discovery of new molecules and materials for battery applications.

Abstract:

Sulfide all-solid-state batteries offer a promising pathway toward high-energy-density and intrinsically safer energy storage, yet their practical implementation is limited by chemo-mechano-electrochemical and interfacial stability. In particular, lithium nucleation and growth, interfacial reactions, void formation, and chemo-mechanical degradation at buried solid–solid interfaces remain central challenges for lithium-metal and anode-free solid-state cells. In this talk, I will present our recent efforts to understand these processes through operando and multimodal characterization. First, I will discuss “fresh” lithium formation in sulfide-based anode-free solid-state batteries, where lithium is extracted from the cathode and deposited onto a current collector during charging. By correlating lithium morphology with substrate chemistry, current density, and lithium-ion supply from the cathode, we identify key design principles for promoting uniform lithium nucleation and stabilizing the anode interface. I will then highlight how operando neutron imaging reveals lithium flux, reaction heterogeneity, and transport limitations in high-loading solid-state cathodes, providing guidance for gradient electrode designs that improve reaction kinetics and active-material utilization. Finally, I will discuss the interplay among lithium metal, sulfide electrolytes, and interlayers, including lithium dynamics, interfacial instability, soft shorts, and lithium creeping under electro-chemo-mechanical coupling. Together, these studies demonstrate how operando characterization can uncover hidden failure mechanisms and guide interface engineering toward more stable, practical sulfide all-solid-state batteries.