Developing and scaling up Volexion’s graphene encapsulation technology to enhance Li-ion battery performance and improve safety.

Advanced Lead-acid battery research under the Lead Battery Science Research Program (LBSRP) conducted by collaboration of North American lead-acid battery industry and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The focus of electrochemical study includes Plante negative Pb electrode in Sulphuric acid, Influence of additives, role of carbon, Dynamic Charge Acceptance, and various imaging techniques to study Lead Sulphate morphology.

Electrochemical In-situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy: Lead monolayer underpotential deposition on Au(111) and Ru(0001) single crystal substrates and surface layer redox replacement (SLRR) of Pb with more noble metals.  Electroless deposition of platinum on gold single crystal surface to study the nucleation of Pt on applying potential.Single Crystalline Gold Physical Vapor Deposition on Mica Sheet:  Gold evaporation in a thermal evaporator on highly oriented mica to create a single crystalline gold surface. Hydrogen flame annealing and Scanning tunneling microscopy to observe Au terrace on mica

Strengths of Materials Laboratory:Strength of Materials undergraduate lab included teaching and conducting materials testing using Charpy Impact test on steel samples at various temperatures, Torsion testing of various materials, Stresses in suspended beam, Universal Testing machine for calculating yield strength of various metals and elastic and plastic deformation in metals, using ultrasound waves to calculate the thickness of metal objects, failure testing of a rotating brass, aluminum, and steel samples.Material Technology Laboratory: Teaching assistant responsibility of this lab included teaching undergraduate students about Materials Safety Data Shet (MSDS), crystallography, various crystal structures (BCC, FCC etc.) and basic calculations related to crystal structures. Also included teaching and experimentations of mechanical polishing of steel, brass and aluminum samples and observing grain structure before and after performing Jominy test, Recrystallization, and grain growth after heat treatment for specific time of cold rolled brass, carbon diffusion in steel at high temperature and transition of steel from austenite to martensite phase at higher temperature. The lab included solid state experiments such as sintering and solidification of Bismuth-tin alloys and recording cooling curves and constructing phase diagrams. Electrochemical experiments on corrosion of Iron in various environments and corrosion prevention techniques as sacrificial Zinc anode, galvanization etc., teaching concepts of Oxidation, Reduction, Cathode Anode etc.