Feng Lin Awarded ARPA-E Project to develop Fast-Charging, Low-Cost Durable Batteries

Feng Lin, Leo and Melva Harris Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of Chemistry, has received an award in the amount of $2.95 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy (ARPA-E) that will allow him to develop fundamentally disruptive electric vehicle batteries using cobalt- and nickel-free cathodes, fast-charging and all-weather electrolytes, and coal-derived fast-charging and high-capacity anodes.

Lin and his team will use theoretical modeling and advanced materials and cell characterization methods to guide the system-level integration of battery components. The technology's use of earth-abundant, low-cost raw materials significantly mitigates supply chain risks. By eliminating the use of cobalt and nickel in cathodes, the cathode cost will be substantially reduced. Using a coal/carbon/silicon anode will resolve environmental issues of coal waste and can reduce anode cost to a significant degree compared with a graphite anode.