CHBE 565-International Paper Co Seminar-Prof. Kelsey Hatzell, Princeton University (Host: Prof. Theresa Schoetz) "Energy Storage for an Autonomous Future"

Abstract: The rapid growth of autonomous technologies, including robots, drones, and other mobile systems, is creating an urgent need for energy storage that delivers both high energy density and the safety, reliability, and power capability required for increasingly demanding applications. Conventional lithium ion batteries are approaching fundamental and practical limits, motivating the development of next generation battery chemistries and architectures. This talk will introduce emerging trends in solid state batteries, which offer an opportunity to substantially increase energy density while improving safety through the replacement of conventional liquid electrolytes with solid materials. I will discuss the unique opportunities presented by solid state architectures, as well as the materials and processing challenges that must be addressed to translate laboratory scale demonstrations into practical devices. A particular focus will be placed on advanced characterization approaches developed in the Hatzell group to understand how materials structure, interfaces, and processing conditions govern battery performance. These techniques provide new insights into the evolution of materials during fabrication and operation, helping to identify the critical processing, structure, and property relationships that determine performance and lifetime. Finally, the talk will examine the prospects for scalable manufacturing of solid state batteries, including key technical and economic barriers to commercialization. Together, these perspectives will highlight both the transformative potential of solid state energy storage and the research opportunities needed to enable the next generation of autonomous technologies.

Bio: Dr. Hatzell is an associate professor at Princeton university in the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment and department of Mechanical and aerospace engineering. Hatzell’s group primarily work on energy storage and is particularly interested at using non-equilibrium x-ray techniques to probe materials for energy and separation applications.Dr. Hatzell earned her Ph.D. in Material Science and Engineering at Drexel University, her M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University, and her B.S./B.A. in Engineering/Economics from Swarthmore College. Hatzell’s research group works on understanding phenomena at solid|liquid, solid|gas,  and solid|solid interfaces broadly work in energy storage and conversion. Hatzell is the recipient of several awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2019), ECS Toyota Young Investigator Award (2019), Sloan Fellowship in Chemistry (2020), NASA Early Career Award (2022), ONR Young investigator award (2023), Camille-Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2024), and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist an Engineering (2025).