Topic：Predicting the Properties of Electrolytes for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries

Speaker：Prof. Levi Thompson（University of Michigan）

Time：9:30-11:00 am. (Fri.) January 19,2018

Venue：Room 403, Shi Changxu building

Predicting the Properties of Electrolytes for Non-Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries

Levi Thompson
Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
ltt@umich.edu

　　New active materials are needed to improve the performance and reduce the cost of non-aqueous redox flow batteries (NAqRFBs) for grid-scale energy storage applications. Efforts to develop better materials, which have largely been by trial and error, would benefit from a better understanding of relationships between structural, electronic and RFB-relevant functional properties. This paper will describe our efforts to correlate experimentally measured standard potentials, solubilities, and cycle lifes, with selected chemical, structural and electronic properties determined using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Our work has focused on metal coordination complexes like metal acetylacetonates, and redox active organics like dialkoxybenzenes. For example, predictive equations based on the solvation energies and dipole moments, two easily computed properties, reasonably modeled the experimentally determined solubilities for first row metal acetylacetonates. In addition the cyclabilities of dimethoxybenzenes correlated with the degree of electron-density stored on the methoxy groups, and a relationship was developed to predict the cyclabilities of these and related materials. Results from the training sets were used to design new active materials with significantly improved potentials, solubilities and cyclabilities.

Levi T. Thompson

Richard E. Balzhiser Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory
The University of Michigan
Principal Investigator, Michigan Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation
The University of Michigan
Department of Chemical Engineering
3020 H.H. Dow Building
Ann Arbor, MI  48109

Telephone:  (734) 936-2015
Fax:  (734) 763-0459
E-Mail:  ltt@umich.edu

Background

Professor Thompson earned his B.ChE. from the University of Delaware, and M.S.E. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Engineering from 2001 to 2005, and is currently Director of the Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory and Director of the Michigan-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. He has published nearly 150 journal articles and several book chapters describing his groups research in the area of nanostructured materials, is co-inventor on more than 10 patents, and has given more than 150 invited presentations. Professor Thompson is recipient of awards including a 2006 Michiganian of the Year Award for his research, entrepreneurship, and teaching, National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, McBride Distinguished Lectureship, Union Carbide Innovation Recognition Award, Dow Chemical Good Teaching Award and Engineering Society of Detroit Gold Award. He is also co-founder and founding CEO of T/J Technologies, a developer of nanomaterials for advanced batteries; the company was acquired by A123 Systems in 2006. He recently co-founded Inmatech to commercialize low cost, high energy density supercapacitors for automotive and military applications. Professor Thompson was Consulting Editor for the AIChE Journal and served on the National Academy’s Chemical Sciences Roundtable and American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Board of Directors. He presently serves on the Department of Energy Hydrogen Technology Advisory Committee, University of Delaware College of Engineering Advisory Council and City College of New York Department of Chemical Engineering Advisory Board. He is also active in the community, serving on the Board of Trustees for the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation and the African American Endowment Fund.