Kyle Jiang

Kyle Jiang is a PhD candidate whose research leverages electrochemistry to develop lithium (Li) metal anodes for applications requiring greater capacity and energy density than currently achievable with Li-ion batteries. Specifically, Kyle is investigating factors limiting the cycling performance of Li metal anodes, which primarily originate from the thermodynamic instability of the solid-electrolyte interphase. In previous work, he successfully isolated molecular structural features of electrolyte additives correlated with enhanced cyclability. As a MathWorks Fellow, Kyle will expand on this work to analyze problematic heterogeneities in operating cells and develop strategies to mitigate them to extend battery lifetimes. Using MATLAB, Kyle has developed a framework to efficiently parse data streams from diverse formats, enabling rapid analysis and visualization of experimental outcomes. His hypothesis is that hidden lateral pressure gradients in coin cells impact Li anode cyclability, and his initial findings identify certain variables within cells that affect the pressure distribution on electrodes. This work is a key step toward measuring the true intrinsic performance of Li battery systems. His future goals include constructing a “smart coin cell” that dynamically reports internal cell parameters. Kyle’s work seeks to produce new mechanical platforms that could accelerate battery research and advance clean-energy technologies.