ESE Seminar - Yuzhang Li: "Battery Intelligence from the Inside Out"

Abstract

Batteries are increasingly central to transportation and the electric grid, yet many of the processes that determine their lifetime, safety, and performance remain hidden from conventional measurements. In this talk, I will discuss two complementary approaches for gaining access to this hidden information. First, cryogenic electron microscopy enables direct visualization of battery interfaces and degradation processes at the nanoscale. Second, machine-learning-based virtual sensing can infer internal electrode states from measurements available outside the battery, creating a “virtual reference electrode” that can improve state estimation, detect lithium plating, and enable smarter charging. Together, these approaches point toward a future in which batteries are not only better understood from the inside, but also become increasingly intelligent in how they are monitored and controlled from the outside.

Bio

Yuzhang Li is an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UCLA. He received his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley and his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Stanford University. His research group develops new tools and materials to address challenges in energy and sustainability, with a particular focus on batteries, electrochemistry, and cryogenic electron microscopy. His group has pioneered the use of cryo-EM to visualize battery materials and interfaces, using these insights to guide the design of new materials and approaches for energy storage. His work has been recognized with the Packard Fellowship, Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award, Forbes 30 Under 30, and young investigator awards from the NSF, DOE, NIH, DOD, ACS, and ECS.

Research/Related Paper(s)

J. Yu, A. Takahashi, M.-H. Kim, et al., “Battery smart sensing via a virtual reference electrode.” Nature Communications 17, 8336 (2026).

C. Wang, J. T. Kim, X. Yuan, et al., “Trapping and imaging dynamic battery nanointerfaces via electrified cryo-EM.” Science Advances 11, eadv3191 (2025).