Since the late 1800s, rechargeable batteries have revolutionized how we store and use energy in many ways. Although batteries have advanced dramatically since then, several core challenges early inventors faced still remain for modern versions.
From density and storage capacity to longevity and degradation, these challenges have created a high demand to design new battery system technologies that satisfy these modern demands.
Now, a multi-disciplinary team from Idaho, Rhode Island and New Hampshire are taking batteries to an atomic level to investigate how microscopic electric interactions govern the performance and longevity of next-generation rechargeable batteries.
Through a $2.4 million Department of Energy Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) Implementation grant, Boise State University will lead a coast-to-coast effort in partnership with Ivy League institutions Brown University and Dartmouth College, as well as four national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
As this grant’s lead, Boise State principal investigator and professor of materials science and engineering Hui (Claire) Xiong is embracing this opportunity to fuel impactful research in the Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering with fellow institutions and national laboratories, create meaningful student opportunities, and strengthen Boise State’s position as a regional leader and collaborative research ecosystem.
“We are thrilled to be selected for this award,” Xiong said. “This project will support the implementation of new research capacity in three EPSCoR jurisdictions and focuses on understanding interfacial phenomena in energy systems, critical elements of each jurisdiction’s state science and technology investment plan.”
Pioneering advanced battery interfaces
Rechargeable metal batteries – those using lithium, sodium, potassium, or magnesium – promise major leaps in energy storage density and performance. But despite their potential, they face persistent challenges that limit commercial adoption. A key barrier lies within the electrical double layer (EDL), a nanometer-scale region where a metal electrode meets an electrolyte and where charge transfer reactions determine a battery’s stability and efficiency.
“For decades, our understanding of the electrical double layer has relied on simplified classical models that no longer capture the complexity of modern electrolyte systems,” Xiong said. “As we move toward high-concentration and localized high-concentration electrolytes, we need new models and experimental tools that can truly describe what’s happening at the atomic level.”
This project unites scientists from three EPSCoR states, building both regional and national capacity in energy materials research. In Idaho, Boise State researchers will lead the integration of experimental and computation efforts.
How the metal plating and stripping processes interact with electrolyte decomposition is crucial to determining both a battery’s performance and safety. To better understand this, the Boise State-led team’s experimental electrochemistry, advanced materials characterization, and computational modeling using artificial intelligence and machine learning will shed new light to develop a unified model for the EDL in rechargeable batteries.
Brown University’s Yue Qi and her team will contribute expertise in molecular dynamics and density functional theory modeling. Weiyang Li will guide Dartmouth College team’s complementary materials synthesis and testing.
“This award, led by Dr. Xiong, demonstrates Boise State’s growing power in cross-country collaboration in tackling some of the most complex challenges in energy storage,” College of Engineering Dean Amy Fleischer said. “Our partnership with Brown, Dartmouth and national laboratories not only advances the next-generation of battery science, but also our commitment to impactful research that benefits Idaho, national energy security, and creates unparalleled opportunities for Boise State students.”
By combining these approaches, the team aims to create a comprehensive understanding of how microscopic interfacial processes lead to macroscopic battery behavior.
“The outcome from this work will be an unprecedented improvement in battery science and technology for electric vehicle applications,” Xiong said. “The models developed in this work will be widely applicable to various new electrolytes in different electrochemical systems used in industry.”
In addition, the project will strengthen Boise State’s growing partnerships with Department of Energy facilities for materials characterization, connecting regional research strengths with national energy priorities.
Empowering students and research capacity
A major focus of the EPSCoR program is building human capacity in research and education. For Xiong and her collaborators, that means ensuring students are deeply engaged in every phase of the project. Xiong has been a strong advocate for Boise State students’ experiential learning. Over the last few years both undergraduate and graduate students working alongside Xiong in her Electrochemical Energy Materials Lab have received prestigious awards and national fellowships.
“This project will overcome human resource challenges by recruiting and retaining outstanding students, providing training, mentorship, and a safe research environment, and increasing STEM identity among our participants,” Xiong said. “Undergraduate and graduate students will have hands-on experience in advanced characterization of interfacial processes in metal battery systems and will work directly with scientists at national laboratories on state-of-the-art facilities.”
These opportunities, she added, will help prepare students for careers in energy innovation while strengthening Boise State’s role as a leader in experiential learning and workforce development in Idaho’s growing research ecosystem.
Accessible science for the clean energy future
The Boise State-led team also plans to make their research widely accessible. “Our team plans to produce open-access digital resources, including data sets, computational models and in situ measurement of digital twins that help establish protocols for interfacial characterization techniques that can be applied to new electrochemical systems,” Xiong said.
Such resources will accelerate discovery for both academic and industry researchers, positioning Boise State as a hub for collaborative, transparent and AI-driven battery science.
“This award reflects Boise State’s leadership in materials science and engineering, and our growing impact in energy innovation and interdisciplinary research,” said Nancy Glenn, vice president for research and economic development. “By expanding partnerships with leading national laboratories and partners across the country, we are advancing the science of next-generation batteries while providing our students with transformative research experiences that prepare them to drive the future of technology development.”
This awards collaborative research team is supported by co-PIs: Yue Qi, Brown University; Weiyang Li, Dartmouth College, and Elton Graugnard, Boise State. As well as team members: Oliviero Andreussi, Jenée Cyran, and Konrad Meister from Boise State Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Emily Sprague-Klein, Brown University; Corey Efaw and Michael Hurley from Boise State Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering; and Min Long from Boise State Department of Computer Science.
About DOE EPSCoR
The Department of Energy’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research supports basic energy research and workforce development in states and territories traditionally underrepresented in federal research funding. Learn more at epscorideafoundation.org.