Esin Aydemir, a graduate student at the Davidson School of Chemical Engineering, 
received third place in the research award session, "AIChE Inorganic Materials 
Graduate Student Award," sponsored by Chevron. Aydemir was invited 
to present her research at the 2024 American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 
Conference in San Diego, California.  

This award recognizes outstanding graduate students whose research 
achievements demonstrate excellence in the area of inorganic materials. Three 
candidates were awarded after the session based on their nomination packet and 
conference oral presentation, honoring the impact of their work on the greater chemical 
engineering community, presentation delivery, and overall research quality.  

Aydemir's research, titled "Tailored Solvation Structure Enabled By an Advanced 
Fluorinated Ether Solvent with a Sulfonimide Salt for Silicon-Based Li-Ion Battery Anodes," 
investigates the design of an ether-based electrolyte to improve cycling stability of silicon 
anodes for high energy density lithium-ion batteries. Her work could provide a thorough 
understanding of how the solvation environment can impact the charge transfer kinetics as 
well as the structure of the interfacial passivation layer. Conducted with the ViPER group, 
headed by Professor Vilas Pol, her research has applications across a variety of disciplines, 
most importantly as a long-term solution to fragility of silicon-based anodes benefiting the 
high energy density Li-ion battery development. This innovative work, featuring a novel 
electrolyte solution, is pending for approval for a US patent. 

"I extend my gratitude to my PhD advisor, Dr. Vilas G. Pol, and past and current members of 
ViPER Group for their unwavering guidance and support. Their insights and encouragement 
have been pivotal in advancing my research, " said Aydemir.  

Learn more about AIChE  

Learn more about the ViPER group