Innovative Nano-structuring Routes for New Energy Materials and Device
Monday 3/26/12 4:00pm - 5:00pm; LOCATION: Fung Auditorium
Sang Mock Lee, Ph.D.
Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, Samsung Electronics, Korea
Abstract: The demands for higher performance and practical materials for the next generation energy devices such as higher-energy-density batteries for energy storage, cost effective fuel cells for energy generation, and thermoelectrics for energy harvesting, have significantly increased in recent years. In order to bring new functional materials into noble energy systems, the characteristic nano components must be put in place, satisfying both nanostructural requirements and bulk materials processing/manufacturing requirements. In this talk, some exciting approaches and technical advances will be discussed for these three types of energy materials/devices systems.
For the efforts to create new concepts for the higher thermoelectric figure-of-merits, strong electron-phone coupling in charge density wave was developed, with example cases of Ce-Te and In-Se systems. The interface engineering for lowered lattice thermal conductivity was also demonstrated, especially with the nanosize interfaces intentionally introduced to the Bi-Te system playing a useful role as phone scattering centers. For the desirable low-operation-temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), new electrode compositions with a suitable diffusion layer were developed through various materials simulations and modeling as well as experiments. With regard to advanced rechargeable batteries, I will describe technical approaches and experimental work progress, and discuss important issues on both utilization rates of sulfur and lithium for the Li/S battery system. Overall perspectives for the future of new energy systems will also be discussed.
Bio: Dr. Sang Mock Lee, currently Director of New Functional Materials at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) of Samsung Electronics, received his PhD in Solid State Chemistry from the Ohio State University (1996). He carried out active research on Li-ion battery anode and cathode materials at Polytech Nantes, France and at Carnegie Mellon University (1996-2000) in collaboration with Energizer Battery Company. He then joined Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 2000 and has since conducted R&D on various energy materials including thermoelectrics, solid oxide fuel cells, Li ion batteries, and magnetic materials, phase change memory materials, printable current connectors, Pt-free catalysts, hydrogen fuel generation, embedded capacitors and solar cell metallizations.
He has 49 journal publications including one in Nature on thermoelectric phenomenon (2009), and 125 patents on energy materials/devices. He received various Samsung Innovation awards on successful R&D with Li-S battery, Thermoelectric Technology, and others. He also received Samsung Group’s The Greatest Technology Awards in 2011 on development of Low-Temperature-Operating, High-Performance Solid Oxide Fuel Cells.