The Energy Lab focuses on the development of fundamental understanding of complex relations at the nanoscale, governing the electrode-electrolyte interactions that are pertinent to energy storage and conversion applications. In general, we are interested in the electrochemistry of ionic liquids (ILs). ILs are salts at liquid state and they have unique properties such as wide electrochemical window, nonflammability, negligible volatility and wide liquidus range which distinguish them from molecular solvents. Their properties can be tailored towards a specific application. Therefore, the development of structure-property relations are essential for the bottom-up approaches to realize renewable energy systems. For instance, classical theories on the formation of electrical-double layers near electrode surfaces do not capture the behavior of ionic liquids. We employ computational and experimental tools to understand the underlying physical and electrochemical phenomena at interfaces.
