Staff

Creation of energy device science using electrochemistry and in-situ measurements

The Arai Laboratory is creating technologies to realize long-life, highly-safe and low-cost energy storage devices for the widespread use of electric vehicles with low environmental impact and electricity storage derived from renewable energy such as solar and wind power to suit people’s lifestyles.

In all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, we succeeded in developing the world’s first reference electrode, which is indispensable for electrochemical measurements, and are promoting analysis of the reaction process using the AC impedance method and other methods.

We are also focusing on the development of in-situ/operando measurement technology using X-ray diffraction, confocal optics and neutron diffraction using government facilities, to clarify the behavior of storage batteries under operating conditions, identify issues, and obtain hints for improving their characteristics.

We will continue to improve the characteristics of next-generation energy storage devices by combining electrochemistry, material science, and advanced analytical technologies, and will challenge the creation of new science that will open up the future.

Representative Papers

1. “Performance of Li4Ti5O12-based reference electrode for the electrochemical analysis of all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries”, Atsunori Ikezawa, Goro Fukunishi, Takeyoshi Okajima, Fusao Kitamura, Kota Suzuki, Masaaki Hirayama, Ryoji Kanno and Hajime Arai, Electrochemistry Communications, 116, 10673_1-5 (2020).
2. “Occurrence of shape change in rechargeable alkaline zinc electrodes observed by operando confocal optics and X-ray diffraction“, Atsunori Ikezawa, Masato Horiuchi and Hajime Arai
   Journal of Power Sources, 570, 230291_1-10 (2021).
3. “Effects of Aluminum Substitution in Nickel-rich Layered LiNi_xAl_1-xO₂ (x=0.92, 0.95) Positive Electrode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries on High-Rate Cycle Performance“, Haruki Kaneda, Yuki Furuuchi, Atsunori Ikezawa and Hajime Arai, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9, 21981-21994 (2021).