Center for Electrical Energy Storage: Tailored Interfaces
Energy Frontier Research Center

The solid-electrolyte interface is a critical component in electrochemical energy storage. Because of the high reactivity between the elctrolyte and the electrodes at the SEI interface, Li-ion batteries show limited calendar and cycle life--less than 2 years, which is much lower than the 15 years required for enabling this technology in vehicles.

CEES' Goal

The Center for Electrical Energy Storage (CEES) will explore the scientific challenges that have limited the advancement and use of electrochemical energy storage (EES) technologies, including batteries and supercapacitors, for transportation, residential, and commercial use.  The Center’s main goal is to understand the interactions of materials that control electrochemical processes in electrical energy storage devices.

EES devices have been available for many years but the atomic- and molecular-level processes that affect their operation and performance are not fully understood. With a full understanding of these processes, scientists will be able to find ways to bridge gaps in current EES technology and invent new ways to meet future energy storage requirements.

The CEES will focus on lithium batteries, as they offer the best opportunity for rapid technological advancement.

Partners and Facilities

The Center brings together 17 scientists from Argonne, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Northwestern University, and will use the research facilities at each location, including Argonne's Advanced Photon Source,Center for Nanoscale Materials, and the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. The Center also will use the resources of Argonne’s Applied Battery Research and Development Program.

EFRCs at Argonne

The Center for Electrical Energy Storage is one of 2 Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) at Argonne. The other center, Institute for Atom-efficient Chemical Transformations (IACT), will focus on key catalytic conversions that could improve the efficiency of producing fuels from coal and biomass.  Argonne will also play a prominent role in 10 other EFRCs.

More

• CEES Web site
• Electrochemical Energy Storage R&D at Argonne
• EFRC Brochure
• Argonne Press Release
• DOE Press Release

June 2012