News Archive

Study identifies main culprit behind lithium metal battery failure

August 21, 2019

UC San Diego researchers have discovered the root cause of why lithium metal batteries fail, challenging a long-held belief in the field. The study presents new ways to boost battery performance and brings research a step closer to incorporating lithium anodes into rechargeable batteries.  Full Story

Y. Shirley Meng Named Editor-in-Chief of MRS Energy & Sustainability

July 29, 2019

UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Y. Shirley Meng has been named Editor-in-Chief of the journal MRS Energy & Sustainability. Full Story

Three UC San Diego Engineering Professors Receive Presidential Early Career Awards

July 3, 2019

Three faculty members at the University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering have been named recipients of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers. Full Story

A cold-tolerant electrolyte for lithium-metal batteries emerges in San Diego

July 1, 2019

Improvements to a class of battery electrolyte first introduced in 2017 – liquefied gas electrolytes – could pave the way to a high-impact and long-sought advance for rechargeable batteries: replacing the graphite anode with a lithium-metal anode. The research, published July 1, 2019 by the journal Joule, builds on innovations first reported in Science in 2017 by the same research group at the University of California San Diego and the university spinout South 8 Technologies. Full Story

Shirley Meng among finalists for Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists

May 29, 2019

University of California San Diego nanoengineering professor Shirley Meng is among the Finalists of the 2019 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. She is one of 31 of the nation?s rising stars in science who will compete for three Blavatnik National Laureate Awards in the categories of Chemistry, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Life Sciences Full Story

Wearable cooling and heating patch could serve as personal thermostat and save energy

May 17, 2019

UC San Diego engineers have developed a wearable patch that could provide personalized cooling and heating at home, work, or on the go. The soft, stretchy patch cools or warms a user’s skin to a comfortable temperature and keeps it there as the ambient temperature changes. It is powered by a flexible, stretchable battery pack and can be embedded in clothing. Researchers say wearing it could help save energy on air conditioning and heating. Full Story

Researchers improve method to recycle and renew used cathodes from lithium-ion batteries

April 17, 2019

UC San Diego researchers have improved their recycling process that regenerates degraded cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries. The new process is safer and uses less energy than their previous method in restoring cathodes to their original capacity and cycle performance. Full Story

Faculty celebrated for extraordinary teaching, research and service

April 4, 2019

Three Jacobs School of Engineering faculty are among the six UC San Diego faculty members who will be honored at the 45th annual Chancellor’s Associates Faculty Excellence Awards for innovative research, extraordinary teaching and making a difference in the community. Full Story

UC San Diego Part of DOE's First Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling R&D Center

February 15, 2019

UC San Diego is a collaborator in the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) first lithium-ion battery recycling research and development (R&D) initiative, called the ReCell Center, which was launched today. Zheng Chen, a professor of nanoengineering at UC San Diego and faculty member of the university’s Sustainable Power and Energy Center, is working on a recycling process to restore used cathodes from spent lithium-ion batteries so they can be used to build new batteries. Full Story

X-rays reveal why adding a bit of salt improves perovskite solar cells

February 7, 2019

New findings about perovskites could pave the way to developing low-cost, high-efficiency solar cells. Using high-intensity X-ray mapping, researchers explain why adding small amounts of cesium and rubidium salt improves the performance of perovskite solar cells.  Full Story