From cells to cars: Developing an electrochemical techniques and diagnostics course for new battery engineers.

We are a team of three battery researchers and engineers who are working with The Electrochemical Society to develop an "electrochemical techniques and diagnostics for batteries" curriculum, comprised of an online course and an in-person workshop. With a combined 40+ years of experience working in battery research and engineering, ranging from academia to electric vehicle manufacturing, we have noticed that there exists a gap in applied electrochemistry knowledge needed to train the rapidly expanding workforce of battery engineers and scientists. In this backstory, we explain the origin story of our team, our motivations for developing the course and the things we have learned in working together.

Modeling the Interface between Lithium Metal and Its Native Oxide.

Owing to their high theoretical capacities, batteries that employ lithium (Li) metal as the negative electrode are attractive technologies for next-generation energy storage. However, the successful implementation of lithium metal batteries is limited by several factors, many of which can be traced to an incomplete understanding of surface phenomena involving the Li anode. Here, first-principles calculations are used to characterize the native oxide layer on Li, including several properties associated with the Li/lithium oxide (LiO) interface.