9602481 Gaw This award supports a 12 month Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship for Dr. Kevin Gaw at the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan. Dr. Gaw will work with Dr. Noboru Oyama, professor of chemical engineering, on a research project entitled, "Investigations and Optimization of an Observed Metal-Organosulfide Interaction in a Composite Cathode Material". The proposed research will attempt to improve upon the electrical characteristics of a lithium rechargeable battery by incorporation of metal ions into a novel polymeric cathode material. More specifically, it will investigate the properties of a novel rechargeable lithium battery to improve its charging and discharging characteristics. The research will try to alter the PAn/DMcT cathode material of lithium batteries through the incorporation of metals that catalyze or assist the reactions that allow for rapid and repeated discharge. Using a (PAn/DMcT) cathode supplemented with metallic ions, the researchers hope to improve upon the safety of the cathode, increase the desired characteristics of the rechargeable lithium battery, and facilitate the intermolecular reactions that occur during use. The reactions that occur will be fully characterized and the results used to improve upon lithium batteries that are currently commercially available. ***