Building Lithium-Sulfur Batteries With Paper Biomass

A major byproduct in the papermaking industry is lignosulfonate, a sulfonated carbon waste material, which is typically combusted on site, releasing CO2 into the atmosphere after sulfur has been captured for reuse. Now researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have developed a method to use this cheap and abundant paper biomass to build a rechargeable lithium-sulfur battery. Such a battery could be used to power big data centers as well as provide a cheaper energy-storage option for microgrids and the traditional electric grid.

Jefferson Project: Road salt, organic additives, and mosquitoes

[The Jefferson Project at Lake George is conducting ongoing research into how human activities may be affecting the lake. This guest blog by Matt Schuler, a postdoctoral research associate in the lab of Jefferson Project Director Rick Relyea, summarizes recent research published in the journal Oikos. The Jefferson Project is a collaboration between Rensselaer, IBM […]

The Heat Is On: Temperature Heals Lithium Dendrites

Rechargeable lithium-ion, the dominant battery technology for portable electronics, is increasingly becoming the battery of choice for electric-vehicle and electric-grid energy-storage applications. In a lithium-ion battery, the cathode (positive electrode) is a lithium metal oxide while the anode (negative electrode) is graphite. But researchers are looking for ways to replace graphite with lithium metal as the anode to boost the battery’s energy density.

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Jian Shi Receives Air Force Young Investigator Research Program Award

Jian Shi, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has won a Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). Shi will use the three-year, $450,000 grant to pursue fundamental research on nanoscale complex materials that could lead to the development of next-generation resilient and high-performance energy conversion and sensing technologies.

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