The research objectives of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award are to (a) experimentally and computationally elucidate the fundamental mechanisms underpinning ion conductivity and other relevant thermo-mechanical properties in next generation polymer nanocomposite electrolytes, and (b) discover the effect of mechanical stresses and strains on electrochemical performance and potential coupling effects in flexible and stretchable lithium ion batteries. Fundamental understanding of electrochemical and mechanical properties in stretchable PNEs and Li ion batteries will pave the way for the realization of many tantalizing applications such as intelligent electronic textiles, rollable computers, electronic eyes among others.
Outreach efforts will aim to (a) educate general public and students of all levels on science and engineering, with specific emphasis on energy storage and (b) increase interest and participation in engineering among minorities and women. Educational outreach will be accomplished through dissemination of energy-science related issues by occasionally hosting a radio show (with an audience exceeding 50,000 listeners), participation in the international sustainable world energy engineering environment project to motivate high school students towards energy research and collaboration with an ongoing NSF GK12 program at UH to target local schools with significant Hispanic and African-American populations. New graduate and undergraduate courses themed around energy with significant hands-on component will be developed.
