Esther Takeuchi

Distinguished Professor

The advancement of battery systems with high energy and power densities remains a lynch pin for new generations of energy storage. The full utilization of renewable energy sources such as wind, photovoltaic, hydroelectric, and geothermal power depends on the ability to store energy as in many cases the renewable energy is generated on an intermittent basis. Additionally, portable electronics, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, biomedical devices, and aerospace applications demand advanced batteries that can perform safely over many years. Finally, the way in which communities handle power demands through power grids may be affected significantly by new developments in energy storage. Specific areas of research. For next generation primary and secondary battery applications demanding long life, high energy density and high power, new strategies are needed for the rational design of electroactive materials and the concomitant engineering associated with battery design. Professor Takeuchi’s research efforts are collaborative in nature, involving scientists with a variety of research expertise. For example, we have an on-going research interest in the structure / function relationships among electroactive materials and redox properties as related to electrochemical energy storage. We also are actively involved in the synthesis of new electroactive materials and the subsequent analysis involving a variety of chemical and physical properties of materials. Further, we conduct fundamental mechanistic studies involving the complex interplay among redox processes, ion transport, and electrode precipitation / dissolution that are critical to the electrochemistry associated with battery science.