A team of Texas A&M University researchers has been awarded a $5 million Catalyst for Discovery Program Grant to support an effort to explore a new generation of battery materials. The award comes from the Robert A. Welch Foundation, one of the nation’s largest private funders of fundamental chemical research at Texas colleges and universities.
The interdisciplinary project aims to develop safer, more sustainable energy storage solutions. The global push toward electrification is currently limited by the shortcomings of conventional lithium-ion batteries, which face supply chain risks, safety concerns including the potential for fires and explosions, and poor performance in extreme cold.
The Texas A&M team will investigate metal-containing redox-active polymers and oligomers as a promising new class of sustainable battery materials. The project seeks to answer fundamental questions about how these materials behave and how their chemical structure influences their performance. Improving scientists’ understanding of these materials will provide a foundation for designing more sustainable battery technologies.
The team brings together the expertise of Dr. Jodie Lutkenhaus, professor of chemical engineering; Dr. Karen Wooley, distinguished professor of chemistry and member of both the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering; Dr. Daniel Tabor, assistant professor of chemistry; Dr. Alison Fout, professor of chemistry; and Dr. Emily Pentzer, professor of chemistry.
Dr. Angela K. Wilson, vice president for research and a professor of chemistry, stated that the award reflects the research enterprise at Texas A&M, where exceptional scientists come together across disciplines to tackle ambitious challenges. She noted that the Welch Foundation is one of the most influential private supporters of chemical research in the United States.
