1. National Science Foundation New Functional Oxides For Electrochemical Energy Storage Ying S. Meng, University of California-San Diego, DMR 1057170 Outcome: Researchers at UC San Diego have developed and optimized a family of new oxide materials for electrodes in rechargeable sodium ion batteries. Impact: These oxides can reversibly intercalate and de-intercalate lithium and sodium ion, storing electric energy in chemical energy form. Such sodium ion rechargeable batteries can be used in mobile devices or electric vehicles, offering a strong alternative energy storage solution. Explanation: Rechargeable ion batteries consists of ceramic oxides that can reversibly store and release mobile ions. For the past two decades lithium is the dominant chemistry, though sodium is a much more abundant element. By using lithium intercalation compounds as the model compounds, new oxides that can store and release sodium ions have been developed and optimized for next generation energy storage technology. Professor Shirley Meng, of UCSD's Department of NanoEngineering and Chemical Engineering and recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award, led the team, which developed the new family of energy storage oxides. Experimental batteries being tested at the Laboratory for Energy Storage and Conversion led by Dr. Shirley Meng (courtesy of Jacobs School of Engineering, UCSD)

2. National Science Foundation Crystal Structures and Na Ion Mobility Ying S. Meng, University of California-San Diego, DMR 1057170 Ceramic oxides exhibit rich-chemistry of Na intercalation. For example, in layered type of sodium transition metal oxides, the structure is often very open making it possible for fast sodium mobility Na (2b) Face sharing with MO 6 octahedron Na (2d) Edge sharing with MO 6 octahedron The research on Na-ion battery chemistries has become increasingly intense in recent years, since sodium sources are far more abundant than lithium sources. We carried out thorough study on the layered Na x [Ni y Mn 1-y] O 2 (0<x<1, 0<y<1). Our preliminary work on P2– Na 2/3 [Ni 1/3 Mn 2/3 ]O 2 indicates that this material exhibits electrochemical capacity exceeding 200mAh/g between the voltage ranges from 1.0 V to 4.5 V.

3. National Science Foundation The Story of Batteries Ying S. Meng, University of California-San Diego, DMR 1057170 An integrated education and outreach effort of this project include the design of a summer class module where the high school students will learn the story of batteries, where they will learn why oxides have ability to store chemical energies, much more than the acidic fruits. The participants of the program are high school students from Latino district and/or central and south American. In the latest visit, the participants will work with Dr. Meng, the graduate and undergraduate students in Meng’s group to construct fruit battery packs to light up a single LED. The will then tour the lab and observe the construction of Li ion batteries and learn the principles of electrochemical energy storage.. Photos of Institute of Americas visit : A group of Latino students visited Meng’s research group at UCSD to learn the stories of batteries in August, 2010 and 2011. (courtesy of Y.S. Meng) http://ne.ucsd.edu/smeng/education-outreach