An ode to electrochemistry

Batteries were electrochemistry’s breakout hit. For years it was a field that kept a low profile, outshined by flashier cousins like biotech and computer science. That is until lithium-ion batteries became big business, showing that studying the relationship between chemicals and energy could unlock technical pathways that other disciplines could not. Now the field is making breakthroughs in critical areas like cement, metallurgy, and new battery chemistries.

So what else can electrochemistry do? Which problems is it especially good at solving?

In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Yet-Ming Chiang, a professor of materials science and engineering at MIT. He’s also the co-founder of at least six electrochemistry companies, including Form Energy and Sublime Systems, which are both portfolio companies of Energy Impact Partners where Shayle is an investor. They cover topics like:

• Promising applications like mining, SAFs, and other industrial processes that require a high concentration of energy
• The strengths of electrochemistry and where it fits best in larger system
• The weak spots of electrochemistry, like solid-solid transformations and the limitation to 2-dimensional surfaces
• How electrochemical processes work with intermittent power and the role of embedded chemical storage
• AI’s potential to shape the field — and its limits

Recommended resources

Catalyst: What do you do with a 100-hour battery?

Catalyst: Fixing cement’s carbon problem

Catalyst: Seeking the holy grail of batteries

Catalyst: The promise and perils of sodium-ion batteries

Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor.

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