Chancellor Jay Perman with Karla Negrete '19, mechanical engineering, and current Ph.D. student.

USM chancellor Jay A. Perman, MD and UMBC president Dr. Freeman Hrabowski toured the Interdisciplinary Life Science Building (ILSB) and stopped by Dr. Deepa Madan's lab.

Karla Negrete ‘19 mechanical engineering and Ph.D. candidate, spoke with them about the battery research conducted in the lab. Karla went into detail on the material focus she is undertaking when experimenting with secondary zinc-ion battery chemistry, and how this research aims to find an alternative to conventional li-ion chemistries with similar electrochemical properties. She was able to show them the fully constructed batteries within the swage locks containing their in-house hydrothermal V2O5 deposited cathodes, zn foil anode, and their novel gel-polymer electrolytes. The chancellor was intrigued that the focus of the research was not testing batteries for electrochemical characteristics, but rather on correlating material properties to these electrochemical characteristics.

She further discussed how she and other researchers are fortunate to be able to conduct research during these troubling times, and how grateful they are that UMBC is taking all the necessary precautions to ensure researchers are safe and healthy while working on site. 

More pictures here: https://www.facebook.com/umbcpage/posts/10158625753420907