Associate Professor Department of Chemical Engineering
Bio
B.S. Chemical Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2004Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2009Post-Doc Argonne National Laboratory, 2009-2011
"My research primarily aims to understand, synthesize, and fabricate materials for batteries and other energy storage applications."
Gary Koenig, Associate Professor
Currently, energy storage is a major challenge for a variety of applications. Batteries with higher energy density, better safety, and lower cost will be needed to continue the deployment of vehicles in the transportation sector that rely on electrical energy to drive their motors. In addition, energy storage is needed to provide energy for intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind and solar when weather conditions limit energy generation. Improving battery performance will require new innovations in battery materials, chemistries, and architectures.
Our research investigates the design of new materials and materials chemistries. This research involves the synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of materials properties using a variety of techniques. The primary area of application that we focus on is rechargeable battery electrode materials.
We are interested in the tailored synthesis of new materials at multiple length scales. At the molecular scale, the physical properties of materials are largely dependent on the stoichiometry and stable structures that can be formed. In addition, nano-scale topographies and geometries can dramatically influence material performance. We investigate hierarchical approaches to simultaneously design materials at the molecular, nanometer, and micrometer length scales. In applications such as lithium-ion battery electrodes, the active materials must be assembled as particles within a composite matrix. We are investigating general strategies to control the interactions between particles to form ordered assemblies. We then determine the relationships between the structure of these ordered assemblies and the physical and electronic properties of the composites they form.
Awards
Fulbright Research Fellow2020
Jefferson Scholars Foundation Hartfield Excellence in Teaching Award2018
University of Virginia Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award2017
National Science Foundation CAREER Award2017
Robert A. Moore Jr. Award for interactions with industry and preparing students for industrial careers2017
National Science Foundation Innovation Corps Program2016
Air Force Summer Faculty Fellow2015
Virginia Space Grant Consortium New Investigator Award2014
University of Virginia Nucleus Award2014
Research Interests
Batteries and Energy Storage
Particle Engineering and Characterization
Materials Microstructure Control and Characterization
Colloid and Surface Science
Reaction Engineering
Selected Publications
Probing Transport Limitations in Thick Sintered Battery Electrodes with Neutron Imaging ABSZ Nie, S Ong, DS Hussey, JM LaManna, GM Koenig, Molecular Systems Design & Engineering, 2020, 5, 245-256
A Review on Synthesis and Engineering of Crystal Precursors Produced Via Coprecipitation for Multicomponent Lithium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials ABSH Dong, GM Koenig, CrystEngComm, 2020, 22, 1514-1530
Analysis of Chemical and Electrochemical Lithiation/Delithiation of a Lithium-Ion Cathode Material ABSD Gupta, GM Koenig, The Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2020, 167, 020537
Lithium Iron Phosphate Accelerated Change in Surface and Electrochemical Properties in Aqueous System Induced by Mechanical Agitation ABSL Geng, S Foley, H Dong, GM Koenig, Energy Technology, 2019, 7, 1801116
High Temperature Electrode-Electrolyte Interface Formation between LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 and Li1.4Al0.4Ge1.6(PO4)3 ABSJP Robinson, PD Kichambare, JL Deiner, R Miller, M Rottmayer, GM Koenig, Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 2018, 101, 1087-1094
Review Article: Flow Battery Systems with Solid Electroactive Materials ABSZ Qi, GM Koenig, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, 2017, 35, 040801/1-040801/27
Electrochemical Evaluation of Suspensions of Lithium-Ion Battery Active Materials as an Indicator of Rate Capability ABSZ Qi, GM Koenig, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2017, 164, A151-A155
Compositional Control of Precipitate Precursors for Lithium-Ion Battery Active Materials: Role of Solution Equilibrium and Precipitate Rate ABSH Dong, GM Koenig, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 2017, 5, 13785-13798