Abstract
Energy storage technologies are governed by complex molecular interactions and reactions that define their efficiency and cycle life. The development of next-generation batteries (NGBs), such as lithium metal batteries and anode-free lithium batteries, is crucial to meeting escalating energy demands. These batteries promise significantly higher energy densities – up to tenfold greater than current lithium-ion batteries – but face critical challenges due to the highly reactive lithium metal used in their construction. This seminar discusses how AI and simulation tools have opened new avenues for the efficient design and discovery of materials vital for energy conversion and storage.
Ritesh Kumar is an Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellow at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, where he leads initiatives using data science to address challenges in next-generation batteries. Previously, he worked as a postdoctoral scholar under Prof. Chibueze Amanchukwu at the University of Chicago. He earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the Indian Institute of Science, India.
