Center for Electrical Energy Storage — an Energy Frontier Research Center

Above: An artistic rendition showing a metal-fluoride stabilized surface structure at a lithium cobalt oxide electrode/electrolyte interface (Li – light red; Co – blue; O – yellow; F – orange; metal cations capping the oxy-fluoride surface – dark red; electrolyte: wavy blue background).

The Center for Electrical Energy Storage (CEES) tackles the scientific limitations of today's electrochemical energy storage technologies for transportation, residential, and commercial use. The prime mission of CEES is to acquire a fundamental understanding of electrode/electrolyte phenomena that control electrochemical processes and that will enable dramatic improvements in 1) the properties and performance of electrochemical energy storage devices and 2) the design of new materials and architectures. The research focuses predominantly on advancing lithium-ion battery science and technology, as these batteries offer the best opportunity for rapid technological enhancement. Through its university partners, CEES strives to mentor the next generation of scientists to meet the energy storage challenges of the future.

Energy storage devices have been available for many years, yet the atomic- and molecular-level processes that affect their operation and performance are not fully understood. With further knowledge of these processes, scientists can bridge gaps in current technologies and discover/invent new ways to meet future energy storage requirements. CEES is one of two Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) centered at Argonne. The other, the Institute for Atom-Efficient Chemical Transformations, focuses on advancing the science of catalysis for the efficient conversion of energy resources into usable forms for a variety of applications. Argonne also plays a prominent role in 10 other EFRCs (read the Argonne news release about the establishment of EFRCs at Argonne).

CEES Partners

Argonne is the lead laboratory for CEES, with Michael Thackeray, an Argonne Distinguished Fellow and Senior Scientist, as CEES Director. The Center's other members are Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The Center receives $19 million of research funding over five years.

November 2012