Before joining UC Berkeley, Dr. McCloskey was at IBM Almaden Research Center, first as a postdoc, then as a research staff member working on the Battery 500 project to elucidate fundamental characteristics of electrochemical processes occurring in Li-O₂ batteries. (Earlier post.)

The award was presented in Tokyo by Dr. Kurt Bock, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE, and Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management of the Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft Group and Chairman of the Board of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand.

BASF aims to further develop high performance battery materials such as cathode materials and electrolytes. To be successful, innovations in electrochemistry are necessary. We are well aware that we still need breakthroughs in research and development to further improve the energy density of batteries. Therefore, we have presented this award for the fourth time to honor outstanding basic research in the field of electrochemical energy conversion and storage. We do this because we want to encourage innovations that will make electromobility a success. We are convinced that electromobility is a key element of future mobility.

—Dr. Bock

We at Volkswagen are deeply convinced by electric mobility. The Board of Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand has just launched a major electric mobility campaign. Our aim is the ‘electric car for all’. Powerful batteries are the key here to achieving the breakthrough in electric mobility. Research and development for electrochemical battery concepts of the next generation and the one after are therefore extremely important for Volkswagen. Through this route, we shall ultimately be working together closely with science in order to further optimize energy storage systems in terms of their range and hence increase the attractiveness of electric vehicles.

—Dr. Diess

The Science Award Electrochemistry was initiated by BASF and Volkswagen in 2012. It is presented annually and targets outstanding scientists in the global academic research community. The aim is to foster exceptional scientific and engineering achievements in electrochemistry and to provide an incentive for the development of high-performance energy stores. The total prize money is €100,000, with the first rank worth €50,000.

Resources

• McCloskey, B. D. (2015a) “Expanding the Ragone plot: pushing the limits of energy storage.” Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 6 (18), 2592-3593 doi: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5b01813

• Burke, C. M.; Pande, V.; Khetan, A.; Viswanathan, V.; McCloskey, B. D. (2015) “Enhancing electrochemical intermediate solvation through electrolyte anion selection to increase nonaqueous Li-O₂ battery capacity.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112 (30), 9293-9298 doi: 10.1073/pnas.1505728112

• McCloskey, B. D.; Burke, C. M.; Nichols, J. E.; Renfrew, S. E. (2015b) “Mechanistic insights for the development of Li-O2 battery materials: addressing Li2O2 conductivity limitations and electrolyte and cathode instabilities.” Chemical Communications 51, 12701-12715, invited review doi: 10.1039/C5CC04620C

• Hojberg, J.; McCloskey, B. D.; Hjelm, J.; Vegge, T.; Johansen, K.; Norby, P.; Luntz, A. C. (2015) “An electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigation of the overpotentials in Li-O2 batteries.” ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 7 (7), 4039-4047 doi: 10.1021/am5083254

• Aetukuri, N. B.; McCloskey, B. D.; Garcia, J. M.; Krupp, L. E.; Viswanathan, V.; Luntz, A. C. (2015) “Solvating additives drive solution-mediated electrochemistry and enhance toroid growth in non-aqueous Li-O² batteries.” Nature Chemistry 7, 50-56 doi: doi:10.1038/nchem.2132

• Luntz, A. C.; McCloskey, B. D. (2014) “Nonaqueous Li-air batteries: a status report.” Chemical Reviews 114 (23), 11721-11750, invited review doi: 10.1021/cr500054y