Current Research Area
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1: Solid State Electrolyte
Description: All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) are becoming a promising energy storage technology as they bring the safety of state-of-the-art batteries to the next level by replacing flammable organic liquid electrolytes with nonflammable solid electrolytes (SEs). The good mechanical properties of SEs further allow the usage of metal anodes to achieve very high energy density. Thus, developing SEs with desired properties is crucial to the commercialization of ASSBs. However, no SE can meet all the requirements. We are focusing on halide-based SEs and developing strategies to improve their ionic conductivity and stability.
Related Publications
xLi3PO4-TaCl5: M. Beltran^, L. Su*, et al. "A Cost-competitive Amorphous Oxychlorophosphate Polyanion Cluster Solid Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries." Nano Energy (2026): 112059.
Li2ZrCl6: M. Beltran^, L. Su*, et al. "Mechanochemistry-Driven Optimization of Halide-Based Solid-State Electrolytes via Orthogonal Design of Experiments and Regression Modeling." ACS Materials Letters (2026).
xNa2CO3-TaCl5: Y. Tan^, L. Su*, et al. "Polyanionic Halide Glasses: A New Family of Sodium Superionic Conductors." (2025). Preprint, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7785016/v1
NaNbCl6-2xOx: Y. Tan^, L. Su*, et al., "Dual-Anion Sodium Halide-based Solid Electrolytes With High Ionic Conductivity and High-Voltage Stability". Small, 2025, 202504677
Li2ZrCl6 + Li3YCl6: B. Wang^, L. Su*, et al., "1 +1 > 2 Effect Induced by Space Charge in Solid Electrolytes", ACS Energy Letters, 2025, 10, 1255-1257 (selected as the front cover of the issue)
Review paper: Y. Tan^, L. Su*, et al., "Interfacial Challenges of Halide‐Based All‐Solid‐State Batteries", Advanced Energy Materials, 2025, 15(13), 2403986
Na1-xZrxLa1-xCl4: C. Fu, Y. Li, ..., L. Su, et al, "LaCl3-based sodium halide solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity for all-solid-state batteries". Nature Communications (2024), 15 (1), 4315
Patent 1: L. Su, et al. "Halide-based solid electrolytes and batteries, and methods of making and use thereof" (24012-WO1, priority date 1/29/2024)
Patent 2: L. Su, et al. "Halide-based solid electrolytes via multi-salt reaction pathways" (25057, priority date 9/30/2025)
2: Non-Li battery technology
Description: We are also developing next-generation battery technologies beyond lithium, including sodium-ion and zinc-ion batteries. Our research focuses on designing advanced electrolyte systems that regulate ion transport, interfacial reactions, and electrochemical stability to enable high-performance, low-cost, and sustainable energy storage. By understanding the fundamental relationships between electrolyte structure, solvation chemistry, and battery performance, we aim to overcome key challenges associated with cycling stability, rate capability, and long-term durability in emerging Na- and Zn-based battery systems.
Selected Publications
Zn battery: J. Ke^, L. Su*, et al. "Modulating the Hydrogen-Bond Network via Molecular Crowding for High-Voltage Electrochemical Stability in Aqueous Zinc Batteries." Energy Storage Materials (2026): 105164.
Na battery: J. Ke^, L. Su*, et al. "Localized high-concentration electrolytes for sodium batteries: fundamentals, challenges, and applications." ACS Applied Energy Materials 8.13 (2025): 8850-8861.
Na battery: J. Ke^, L. Su*. "Advancing high-voltage cathodes for sodium-ion batteries: Challenges, material innovations and future directions." Energy Storage Materials 76 (2025): 104133.
3: Liquid Electrolyte Development via Machine Learning
Description: Battery electrolyte typically has one or more organic solvents, salts, and additives. They significantly impact battery performance such as capacity retention, rate performance, and safety. Electrolyte development still relies on expert knowledge and expertise through a trial-and-error approach. This approach is effective but time-consuming, resulting in a slow electrolyte development process in the past three decades. We are applying machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches to facilitate the search for the optimal electrolyte formula.
Selected Publications
N. Kapadia^, J. Ke^, and L. Su*. "A transferable data driven framework for electrolyte discovery." Discover Energy (2026).
J. Zhang^, L. Su*, et al. Dual-objectives Optimization of Lithium Metal Battery Electrolytes via Machine Learning. Materials Today Energy. 2025, 101909
J. Zhang^, B. Wang^, L. Su*, Correlating Self-Discharge and Cycling Performance of Batteries to Fasten Electrolytes Development, Batteries & Supercaps, 2025, e202400810
4: Safety and Security of Batteries for Electric Urban Air Mobility
Description: Electric urban air mobility (eUAM) is emerging as a transformative solution for urban transportation by offering reduced congestion, lower emissions, and enhanced mobility. However, the reliance on high-performance rechargeable batteries introduces significant safety and security challenges that must be addressed to ensure reliable and scalable operations.
Selected Publications
J. Ke, D. Jain, J. Zhang, B. Wang, Y. Makris, K. Cho, K. Shamsi, L. Su, Battery safety and security for electric urban air mobility, Cell Reports Physical Science 6 (2025)
L. Su, S. Zhang, A. J. H. McGaughey, B. Reeja-Jayan, A. Manthiram, Battery Charge Curve Prediction via Feature Extraction and Supervised Machine Learning. Adv. Sci., e2301737 (2023).
L. Su, M. Wu, Z. Li, J. Zhang, Cycle life prediction of lithium-ion batteries based on data-driven methods. eTransportation. 10, 100137 (2021).
Other Expertise
1: Nanoscale Surface Engineering of Battery Electrodes
Description: This project focuses on the use of initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) and oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) to deposit nanoscale polymer thin films on battery electrodes. The goal is to enhance interfacial stability and electrochemical performance through conformal coatings of functional polymers such as PEDOT. These engineered surfaces are designed to regulate ion transport and suppress degradation at electrode interfaces, enabling improved cycling stability in next-generation batteries.
Selected Publications
L. Su, P. M. Smith, P. Anand, B. Reeja-Jayan, Surface Engineering of a LiMn2O4 Electrode Using Nanoscale Polymer Thin Films via Chemical Vapor Deposition Polymerization. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 10, 27063–27073 (2018).
L. Su, J. L. Weaver, M. Groenenboom, N. Nakamura, E. Rus, P. Anand, S. K. Jha, J. S. Okasinski, J. A. Dura, B. Reeja-Jayan, Tailoring Electrode–Electrolyte Interfaces in Lithium-Ion Batteries Using Molecularly Engineered Functional Polymers. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 13, 9919–9931 (2021).
L. Su, S. S. Kumar, A. Manthiram, B. Reeja-Jayan, A Review on Application of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) in Rechargeable Batteries. Org. Mater. 4, 292–300 (2022).
2: In-situ Operando Characterization
Description: We have extensive experience in applying advanced in-situ and operando techniques, including nanoscale X-ray computed tomography (nano-CT), energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD), and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering SAXS, Raman, FTIR, etc., to investigate structural and compositional changes in battery materials during operation. These tools enable real-time visualization of phase transformations, crack formation, and ion transport pathways at high spatial and temporal resolution, providing critical insights into degradation mechanisms and guiding the design of more durable and efficient energy storage systems.
Selected Publications
L. Su, H. Charalambous, Z. Cui, A. Manthiram, High-efficiency, anode-free lithium–metal batteries with a close-packed homogeneous lithium morphology. Energy Environ. Sci. 15, 843–854 (2022).
L. Su, X. Zhao, M. Yi, H. Charalambous, H. Celio, Y. Liu, A. Manthiram, Uncovering the Solvation Structure of LiPF6-Based Localized Saturated Electrolytes and Their Effect on LiNiO2-Based Lithium-Metal Batteries. Adv. Energy Mater. 12 (2022)
L. Su, K. Jarvis, H. Charalambous, A. Dolocan, A. Manthiram, Stabilizing High-Nickel Cathodes with High-Voltage Electrolytes. Adv. Funct. Mater. 33 (2023)
J. He, A. Bhargav, L. Su, H. Charalambous, A. Manthiram, Intercalation-type catalyst for high-performance sodium-sulfur batteries. Nature Communications, 14, 6568, (2023)
J. He, A. Bhargav, L. Su, J. Lamb, J. Okasinski, W. Shin, A. Manthiram, Tuning the Solvation Structure Through Salts for Stable Sodium-metal Batteries. Nature Energy 1-11, (2024)
L. Su, S. K. Jha, X. L. Phuah, J. Xu, N. Nakamura, H. Wang, J. S. Okasinski, B. Reeja-Jayan, Engineering lithium-ion battery cathodes for high-voltage applications using electromagnetic excitation. J. Mater. Sci. 55, 12177–12190 (2020).
L. Su, P. Choi, B. S. Parimalam, S. Litster, B. Reeja-Jayan, Designing reliable electrochemical cells for operando lithium-ion battery study. MethodsX. 8, 101562 (2021).
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