Cheng co-directs the "Laser Assisted Large-Scale Manufacturing of 2D/0D Nanocomposites for High Energy Density and High Power Output Li-ion Batteries" project with Dr. Kejie Zhao of the Purdue School of Mechanical Engineering.

"Battery materials are a crucial part of numerous naval applications," explains Cheng. "This project is to design and fabricate nanocomposites for high-performance Li-ion batteries."

According to Cheng, researchers will conduct large-scale material processing, electrochemical characterization, in-situ experimentation, finite element modeling, and quantum-mechanics/molecular dynamics simulations. The three-year project will support two graduate students, and additional research assistantships, internships and visiting scholar positions may also be available in the collaboration between Purdue and the Naval research lab.  

The U.S. Navy Enterprise Partnership Teaming with Universities for National Excellence (NEPTUNE) was launched by Purdue and the Navy in 2014 to help the military branch reach its goal to convert half of its energy consumption to alternative sources, including biofuels, by 2020.