<!DOCTYPE html><html><head> <title>News Story | Maryland NanoCenter</title> <meta content="DWOal-diUvh8tSrH3R0mubIDZNtVXkhWJoXABqi83AM" name="google-site-verification"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <meta content="University of Maryland NanoCenter" name="author"> <link href="../favicon.gif" rel="shortcut icon"> <link href="../lib/css/reset.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/text.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/grid.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/nav.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/960.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/nanocenter.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/css/slideshow.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/js/jquery/jquery-ui-1.11.4/jquery-ui.css" media="screen, print" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/js/jquery-1.11.2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/jquery-ui-1.11.4/jquery-ui.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../scheduler/functions.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/nanocenter.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/maxSize/maxSize.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/hoverIntent/jquery.hoverIntent_r6.minified.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/form/jquery.form.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/simpletip-1.3.1/jquery.simpletip-1.3.1.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/rounded.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/waypoints/waypoints.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/nivo-slider/jquery.nivo.slider.pack.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="../../umd-header.umd.edu/build/bundle.js__querystring__search=0&search_domain=&events=0&news=0&schools=0&admissions=0&support=0&support_url=&wrapper=&sticky=1"></script> <link href="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/nivo-slider/nivo-slider.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <link href="../lib/js/jquery/plugins/nivo-slider/themes/nanocenter/nivo-slider-nanocenter.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css"> <!-- Google tag (gtag.js) --> <script async="" src="../../www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js__querystring__id=G-DKLBSDWEHP/index_no_slash.html"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-DKLBSDWEHP'); </script> <style> #containerTable { overflow:hidden; } #storyTable { width:700px; } #imageTable { width:auto; } #previousNext a { font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: bold; } #currentHeadlines { } .pageHeader { font-family:Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size:1.5em; margin-bottom:0; } .subHeader { font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } #headlines .rightHeader { width: inherit; } p.caption4 { background-color:#bbb; border-bottom:solid 1px #ccc; padding: 4px 10px; margin:0; font-weight:bold; } p.caption4:hover { background-color:#aaa; } p.caption4 a { display:block; } td { padding:0; vertical-align: top; } .rightHeader { color:#fff; display:block; background-color:#997A00; font-size:1em; padding:4px 15px; text-transform:uppercase; margin:0; } </style> </head> <body> <div id="top-menu-container"> <div id="top-menu"> <ul class="nav main"> <li class=""><a href="../index.html"><img alt="Maryland NanoCenter Logo" src="../images/web/logo.nanocenter.white.menu.png"></a> <ul> <li><a href="../fablab/index.html">FabLab</a></li> <li><a href="../aimlab/index.html">AIMLab</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="about"><a href="../about/index.html">About</a> <ul> <li><a href="../about/index.html">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="../about/director/index.html">Director</a></li> <li><a href="../about/staff/index.html">Staff</a></li> <li><a href="../about/jobs/index.html">Job Opportunities</a></li> <li><a href="../about/logos/index.html">Logos</a></li> <li><a href="../about/directions/index.html">Directions</a></li> <li><a href="../about/contact/index.html">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="../about/email-list/index.html">Email List</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="faculty"><a href="../faculty/index.html">Faculty</a></li> <li class="news"><a href="index.html">News</a> <ul> <li><a href="index.html">Newsroom</a></li> <li><a href="news_search.php">Search</a></li> <li><a href="news_archives.php">Archives</a></li> <li><a href="../rss/index.html">RSS Feed</a></li> <li><a href="outreach/index.html">Communications & Outreach</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="events"><a href="../events/index.html">Events</a> <ul> <li><a href="../events/index.html">Event List</a></li> <li><a href="../events/collaborated/index.html">Collaborated Events</a> <ul> <li><a href="../events/mlmr/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2023">MLMR 2023</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2022/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2022">MLMR 2022</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2021/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2021">MLMR 2021</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2020/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2020">MLMR 2020</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2019/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2019">MLMR 2019</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2018/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2018">MLMR 2018</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2017/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2017">MLMR 2017</a></li> <li><a href="../events/fqm/index.html" title="Fundamentals of Quantum Materials 2017">FQM 2017</a></li> <li><a href="../events/mlmr-2016/index.html" title="Machine Learning in Materials Research 2016">MLMR 2016</a></li> <!-- <li><a href="/events/amec/" title="Advancing Materials for Efficient Cooling 2015">AMEC 2015</a></li> <li><a href="/events/wbg/" title="Wide Band Gap Workshop 2014">WBG 2014</a></li> --> </ul> </li> <li><a href="../events/nanocolloquium/index.html">Nanocolloquium</a></li> <li><a href="../nanoday/index.html">NanoDay</a> <ul> <li><a href="../nanoday/2016/index.html">2016</a></li> <li><a href="../nanoday/2014/index.html">2014</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="../events/march-for-science/index.html">March for Science</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="facilities"><a href="../facilities/index.html">Facilities</a> <ul> <li><a href="../facilities/index.html">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/become-a-user/index_no_slash.html">Become A User</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/rates/index.html">Rates</a></li> <li><a href="../fablab/index.html">FabLab</a></li> <li><a href="../aimlab/index.html">AIMLab</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">NanoCenter Partner Labs</a> <ul> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">SAC</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">RRL</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">ANSLab</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">TEBL</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">CSWangLab</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">EnvEngLab</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">FML</a></li> <li><a href="../facilities/partner/index.html">NanoMass Core</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="equipment"><a href="../equipment/index.html">Equipment</a> <ul> <li><a href="../equipment/index.html">Equipment List</a></li> <li><a href="../scheduler/index.html">Equipment Scheduler</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="connections"><a href="../connections/index.html">Connections</a> <ul> <li><a href="../connections/index.html">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="../connections/centers/index.html">Centers & Institutes</a></li> <li><a href="../connections/programs/index.html">Programs</a> <ul> <li><a href="../connections/programs/pml/index.html">PML Collaboration</a></li> <li><a href="../connections/programs/sparks/index.html">Sparks Symposium</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li class="research"><a href="../research/index.html">Research</a> <ul> <li><a href="../research/index.html">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="../research/hotpapers/index.html">Hot Papers</a></li> <li><a href="../research/publications/index.html">Publications</a> <ul> <li><a href="../research/publications/submit.php">Submit a Publication</a></li> </ul> </li> <li><a href="../research/acknowledge/index.html">Acknowledge</a></li> <li><a href="../research/threads/index.html">Threads</a> </li> <!-- <li><a href="/research/faculty/">Faculty Profiles</a></li> --> <!-- <li><a href="/research/patents/">Patents</a></li> --> <!-- <li><a href="/research/media/">Media Coverage</a></li> --> </ul> </li> <li class="education"><a href="../education/index.html">Education</a> <ul> <li><a href="../education/index.html">Overview</a></li> <li><a href="../education/enma181/index.html">Intro to Nanotechnology</a></li> <li><a href="../education/nano-minor/index.html">Nano Minor</a> <ul> <li><a href="../education/nano-minor/courses/index.html">Courses</a></li> <!-- <li><a href="/education/nano-minor/model">Model Program</a></li> --> </ul> </li> <li><a href="../education/communicating-science/index.html">Communicating Science</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="giving"><a href="../giving/index.html">Giving</a></li> <!-- <li class="secondary help"> <a href="/help" title="Help Section">Help</a> </li> --> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="nanocenter-header-container"> <div id="nanocenter-header" style="background:url(/images/web/header_backgrounds/3.jpg) no-repeat;"> <div id="nanocenter-header-fade-overlay"> <div id="nanocenter-header-logo"> <a href="../index.html"><img alt="NanoCenter Logo" src="../images/logos/nanocenter/logo.nanocenter.white.png"></a> </div> <div id="nanocenter-header-search"> <a href="../login.php"><strong>Login</strong></a> | <a href="../register.php"><strong>Register</strong></a> <!-- Google CSE Search Box Begins --> <!-- <script> (function() { var cx = '007626350928369927294:-12-zupu4ka'; var gcse = document.createElement('script'); gcse.type = 'text/javascript'; gcse.async = true; gcse.src = (document.location.protocol == 'https:' ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//cse.google.com/cse.js?cx=' + cx; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(gcse, s); })(); </script> <gcse:search></gcse:search> <form action="/search.php" id="searchbox_007626350928369927294:rai-gn7lyee"> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="007626350928369927294:rai-gn7lyee"> <input type="hidden" name="cof" value="FORID:11"> <input type="text" name="q" size="25"><br> <input class="button" type="submit" name="sa" value="Search"> </form> --> <!-- <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=searchbox_007626350928369927294%3Arai-gn7lyee&lang=en"></script> --> <!-- Google CSE Search Box Ends --> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="container_16" id="nanocenter-content"> <div id="page-top"> <span style="float:left;">June 28, 2023</span> <span style="float:right;padding-right:5px;"> <a href="../../www.umd.edu/index.html">UMD Home</a> <a href="../fablab/index.html">FabLab</a> <a href="../aimlab/index.html">AIMLab</a> </span> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="grid_16" id="sub-top"> <ul id="breadcrumb"> <li><a href="../index.html">Home</a></li> <li><a href="index.html">News</a></li> <li>Story</li> </ul> <ul id="page-utils"><li><a href="javascript:window.print()">Print</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="grid_16" id="page-head" style="background-color:#997A00"> <h2 id="page-heading">News Story</h2> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <!-- CONTENT START --> <div class="grid_16" id="newsStory"> <!--70903--> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="containerTable"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top"><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="titleTable"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="1"><img height="17" hspace="0" src="../../www.eng.umd.edu/images/sub/layout/headerornament.gif" vspace="0" width="17"></td> <td align="left" valign="top"><p class="pageHeader">Thin Films Prevent Corrosion in Sodium Metal Anode</p></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <img height="19" src="../images/shim.gif" width="1"><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="storyTable" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="1"><img height="1" src="../images/shim.gif" width="1"></td> <td align="left" valign="top"> <p></p><p>A tiny protective layer of aluminum oxide makes a sodium metal anode more stable and longer-lasting, engineers at the University of Maryland in College Park say.</p> <p></p><p>As the demand for small-high powered batteries grows, scientists are exploring other elements besides lithium to store and release energy. Sodium, which is a thousand times more common than lithium and easier to harvest, would be cheaper to use for large scale applications and has similar properties. Most recently, researchers are racing to find ways to bring it up to competition with lithium-based batteries.)</p> <p></p><p>Engineers from the departments of materials science, NEES (DOE-EFRC) and University of Maryland's Energy Research Center at the University of Maryland have used a high-tech, low-temperature process called plasma-enabled atomic layer deposition to protect one pole of the battery from the corroding effects of contact with the electrolyte.</p> <p></p><p>“To my knowledge, no other groups have done nanoscale thin film protection on sodium metal, and surprisingly, only a few nanometers of protection layer extend the lifetime three times longer for sodium metal anodes,†said Chuan-Fu Lin, lead author of the study, which was published on Sept 22<sup>nd</sup> in the journal <em>Advanced Energy Materials.</em></p> <p></p><p>Batteries like rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, the kind found in your phone and laptop, work by passing the positively-charged ions of the electrolyte back and forth between the negative and positive electrodes. With metal anodes, the positively charged ions will be easily deposited on anodes side and form dendrites that may cause safety hazards (causes fire by shorting positive and negative electrode), Additionally, because of the high reactivity of sodium metal, the electrolyte actually chemically changes the anode surface to form thick undesired layers that also hinders battery performance.</p> <p></p><p>The Maryland scientists’ work put a ultrathin protective layer of aluminum oxide on the sodium metal anode, which allowed the sodium ions to pass back and forth without beginning to grow dendrites. That means it could last three times longer than an unprotected sodium anode. It was still working without defects after 450 hours of charging and discharging, the team said.</p> <p></p><p>Since sodium battery making is still in its infancy, the newly-created battery won’t be in your cell phone in the near future. But, said Lin, “We tested this with a fair amount of batteries, and it’s reproducible; and aluminum oxide is relatively easy to be applied and the processes is now well developed.†The team may also try adding additives to the electrolyte to further improve the battery’s performance.</p> <p></p><p>Ultrathin Surface Coating Enables the Stable Sodium Metal Anode</p> <p></p><p>Adv. Energy Mater. 2016, 1601526</p> <p></p><p>DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201601526</p> <br><br><span class="caption">December 15, 2016</span> <p></p> <br clear="all"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="previousNext" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td width="45%"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=10166">«Previous Story </a></td> <td> </td> <td width="45%"><div align="right"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=10185">Next Story»</a> </div></td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> <td valign="top" width="20"> </td> <td valign="top" width="1"> <img align="left" height="495" src="../../www.eng.umd.edu/images/sub/layout/rhtcolline.gif" width="1"> </td> <td align="left" valign="top" width="172"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0" id="currentHeadlines" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td align="left" valign="top" width="100%"><p class="rightHeader">Current Headlines </p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15282">Selected Publications from NanoCenter's AIM Lab and FabLab</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15553">Connect with Maryland Engineering at the 2023 ASEE Annual Conference</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15518">Powering a Greener Future</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15485">Device That Harvests Water From Air Named Top UMD Invention of the Year</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15456">Maryland Engineering Graduate Programs: Top 10 Among Public Universities, Five Years in a Row</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15447">Electrified Plastic Recycling Toward A Sustainable Future</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15444">Crank Up the AC, Not Global Warming</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15405">Women’s History Month Spotlight</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15393">Safe Lithium Batteries Get a Boost</a></p> <p class="caption4"><a href="news_story.php__querystring__id=15389">2023 Energy Seed Grants Provide Launchpad for Local Startups</a></p> </td></tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </div> <script> // Code to style news from ENG news engine $(document).ready(function(){ // removes title bullet $('#titleTable tr:first-child td:first-child').hide(); // removes spacing above title $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:first-child br:first-of-type').hide(); // adds page-header css rule to title block $('.pageHeader').addClass('page-header'); // removes spacing to the left of the news story $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(1)').css('width:700px'); $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(3)').hide(); // replace the Next Story link $('#previousNext td').show(); // Format side headlines to match our site dimensions $('#containerTable tr:first-child td:nth-child(4)').css('width', '220'); $('#currentHeadlines').attr('cellpadding', '0'); $('#currentHeadlines .rightHeader').addClass('nanocenter-module-header'); // Help the right table consistently reach the bottom of page $('#currentHeadlines').height($('#containerTable').height()+100); // Add News Resources for consistency and backtrack links var nr = '<p class="rightHeader nanocenter-module-header">News Resources</p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/">Newsroom</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/news_search.php">Search Nano News</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/news_archives.php">Archived News</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="/news/press_releases.php">Press Releases</a></p>'+ '<p class="caption4"><a href="http://feed.eng.umd.edu/news/nano/feed.xml" class="rss-link">NanoCenter RSS</a></p>'; $('#currentHeadlines tr:first-child td:last-child').append(nr); }); </script> <!-- CONTENT END --> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div class="clear"></div> <div class="container_16" id="site-info"> <p><span class="footer-section-head">Colleges</span> <a href="../../www.eng.umd.edu/index.html">A. James Clark School of Engineering</a><br> <a href="../../www.cmns.umd.edu/index.html">The College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences</a> </p> <p><span class="footer-section-head">Communicate</span> <a href="../about/email-list/index.html">Join Email List</a><br> <a href="../about/contact/index.html">Contact Us</a><br> <a href="../../twitter.com/index.html">Follow us on Twitter<img alt="Twitter logo" src="../images/logos/media/twitter-bird-dark-bgs.png" style="width:25px;margin:-5px -5px -5px 0;"></a> </p> <p><span class="footer-section-head">Links</span> <a href="../../umd.edu/privacy-notice/index_no_slash.html">Privacy Policy</a><br> <a href="../sitemap/index.html">Sitemap</a><br> <a class="rss-link" href="../rss/index.html" style="display:inline;">RSS</a> </p> <p><span class="footer-section-head" style="display:inline;">Copyright</span> <a href="../../www.umd.edu/index.html"><img alt="The University of Maryland" src="../images/logos/umd/umd-globe-white-text-small.png" style="border:0;float:right;" title="The University of Maryland"></a> <a href="../../www.umd.edu/index.html">University of Maryland</a><br> 2004-2023 </p> <div class="clear"></div> <!-- <script type="text/javascript" src="/lib/js/wz_tooltip.js"></script> --> <script> window.onload = function(){ $('body').css('paddingTop', '31px'); $('#umh-cont').addClass('collapsed'); $('#umh-main').hide(); }; </script> </div> </body></html>