Research - College of Engineering | Institute for Energy Innovation (IEI) | Batteries and Storage - Purdue University

• Extreme-temperature energy storage: Development of battery materials, electrolytes and cell systems designed for operation well below conventional temperature ranges, including a lithium-ion charging demonstration at −100 °C.
• Battery safety and reliability: Research into thermal behavior, degradation, interfaces, separators and electrolyte systems to improve resilience and reduce failure risk.
• Fast-charging systems: Electrochemical and materials research addressing transport limitations, interface stability and battery behavior during rapid charging.
• Beyond lithium-ion: Research spanning sodium-ion, potassium-ion, zinc-ion, lithium-sulfur and other emerging energy-storage chemistries.
• Advanced materials and interfaces: Development and characterization of electrodes, electrolytes and electrochemical interfaces that determine performance, safety and lifetime.

Modern battery systems face persistent challenges in fast charging, interface stability, thermal safety, degradation and performance across wide temperature ranges. These limitations affect applications ranging from transportation and grid storage to aerospace and defense.

Purdue researchers are developing new materials, electrochemical strategies, diagnostics and modeling approaches to understand these limitations and improve battery performance under demanding operating conditions.

• Center for Advances in Resilient Energy Storage (CARES) — research into the fundamental science governing safety, resilience and performance in next-generation energy-storage systems.
• ViPER Group (Vilas Pol Energy Research Group)— advanced battery materials, electrochemistry, safety and wide-temperature operation.
• Birck Nanotechnology Center— advanced materials fabrication and nanoscale characterization capabilities supporting battery and energy research.