302 831 8079 wagnernj@udel.edu

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey J. Richards

 Jan 2015 – NRC Postdoctoral Fellow, National Center for Neutron Research,  National Institute of Standards and Technology (Gaithersburg, MD)
 

Sept 2014 – Postdoctoral Researcher, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Deleware

Aug 2014 – Doctor of Philosophy, Chemical Engineering, University of Washington – Thesis Title: “Structural Characterization of Thin-Film and Dispersed Phase Conjugated Polymer/Fullerene Composites”

Aug 2011 – Master of Science, Chemical Engineering, University of Washington

Dec 2008 – Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering, Purdue University

 

Characterization of Flowable Electrodes for Semi-Solid Flow Batteries

Semi-Solid Flow Batteries have the potential to serve as a high energy density, scalable grid-scale storage technology. Current iterations of this technology utilize carbon black in the liquid electrodes alongside the redox active particulates. While the carbon black additive provides the necessary electrical percolation throughout the electrode, it has a detrimental effect on its flowability. The concentration of carbon black necessary to provide electrical percolation also leads to mechanical percolation, greatly increasing the viscosity of the slurry and reducing the pumping efficiency. We are looking to replace the need for carbon black by a composite conductive polymer brush layer grafted onto the redox active particulates. In doing so, the necessary electrical percolation can be provided with a reduced impact on the viscosity. We also motivate the development of a new dielectric rheoSANS instrument to be developed at the NCNR at NIST in order to simultaneously probe the microstructure of these dispersions with their combined dielectric and rheology characteristics

References

(1) Moslehi, K.; et al. IEEE Trans. Smart Grid 2010, 1, 57–64.(2) Wang, W.; et al. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2013, 23, 970–986. (3) Duduta, M.; et al . Adv. Energy Mater. 2011, 1, 511–516. (4) Vaynberg, K. a; et al . Biomacromolecules 2000, 1, 466–472. (5) Krishnamurthy, L.; et al. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2004, 280, 264–275. (6) Administration, E. I. Annual Energy Outlook 2013; 2013. (7) Bird, L.; Milligan, M. Lessons from Large-Scale Renewable Energy Integration Studies Preprint. 2012. (8) Dennison, C. R.; et al  J. Power Sources 2014, 247, 489–496. (9)Yang, Z.; et al Chem. Rev. 2011, 111, 3577–3613. (10) Shin, S.-H.; et al. RSC Adv. 2013, 3, 9095. (11) Park, M.-S.; et al. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2014, 6, 10729–10735. (12) Parasuraman, A.; et al. Electrochim. Acta 2013, 101, 27–40. (13) Campos, J. W.; et al. Electrochim. Acta 2013, 98, 123–130. (14) Eberle, A. P. R; et al. Phys. Rev. E 2014, 89, 050302. (15) Ridge, O.; et al. 2008, 221, 309–319. (16) Porcar, L.; et al. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 2011, 82, 083902. (17) Ballauff, M.; et al. Curr. Opin. Colloid Interface Sci. 2006, 11, 316–323. (18) Wagner, N. J.; et al. 2009, 27–32. (19) Kannan, R.; et al. Sol. Energy 2006, 80, 555–563. (20) Jönsson, S. K.; et al. Synth. Met. 2003, 139, 1–10. (21) De Kruif, C. G.; et al. J. Chem. Phys. 1985, 83, 4717.

Publications

  • Chang-Zhi Li, Cody W. Schlenker, Chu-Chen Chueh, Jeffrey J. Richards, Dana Sulas, Yun-Xiang Xu, Lilo D. Pozzo, Xiosong S. Li, David S. Ginger and Alex K Y. Jen, “Structural design of conjugated polymers to kinetically transcend common organic solar efficiency barriers”. 2014, In preparation.
  • Yun-Xiang Xu, Yue Zang, Chu-Chen Chueh, Kai Yao, Fei-Zhi Ding, Jeffrey J. Richards, Lilo D. Pozzo, Xiaosong Li, Chang-Zhi Li, and Alex K.-Y. Jen. “The Influence of Oxygen Atoms on Absorption and π-π stacking of Ladder-type Polymers and Their Photovoltaic Performance”. Chemical Communications, 2014, in preparation.
  • Bin Zhao+, Chang-Zhi Li+, Sheng-Qiang Liu, Jeffrey J. Richards, Chu-Chen Chueh, Feizhi Ding, Lilo D. Pozzo, Xiaosong Li, Alex K.-Y. Jen. “Conductive liquid crystals obtained via the facile doping of n-type molecule with organic phosphonium salts”, Advanced Materials, 2014, submitted.
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, Qingyu Ming, Lilo D. Pozzo, “Ionic surfactant mediated electrostatic assembly of conjugated polymer/fullerene composite nanoparticles”. in preparation.
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, Gregory M. Newbloom, Ikechukwu N. Nwaneshiudu, and Daniel T. Schwartz, “A Mobile Pyrolysis Blanket: Economic Conversion of Primary Forest Residues to Biochar for Soil Amendments”. Journal of Forestry. Under review (Aug 2014).
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, Curtis L. Whittle, Guozheng Shao, and Danilo C. Pozzo, “Correlating the structure of composite seminconducting nanoparticles to photocurrent using contrast variation SANS and photoconductive AFM”. ACS Nano, 8.5 (2014), 4313-4324.
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, Andrew H. Rice, Rainie D. Nelson, Felix S. Kim, Samson A. Jenekhe, Christine K. Luscombe, and Danilo C. Pozzo, “Modification of PCBM crystallization via incorporation of C60 in polymer/fullerene solar cells”. Advanced Functional Materials, 23.4 (2012): 514-522.
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, K. M. Weigandt, Danilo C. Pozzo, “Aqueous dispersions of colloidal poly(3-hexylthiophene) gel particles with high internal porosity”. Journal of Colloids and Interface Science, 364.2 (2011): 341-350.
  • Abel L. Thangawng, P. B. Howell, Jeffrey J. Richards, J. S. Erickson, Frances S. Ligler.  “A simple sheath-flow microfluidic device for micro/nanomanufacturing: fabrication of hydrodynamically shaped polymer fibers”. Lab on a Chip. 9.21 (2009): 3126-3130.
  • Jeffrey J. Richards, M. K. Danquah, S. Kalakkunnath, Douglass S. Kalika, V.A. Kusuma, S. T. Matteucci and B. D. Freeman, “Relation between structure and gas transport properties of polyethylene oxide networks based on crosslinked bisphenol a ethoxylate diacrylate”.  Chemical Engineering Science. 6.4 (2009): 4707-4718