Passionate Chemist Exudes Enthusiasm in Lab Work
Linda Nazar, a renowned professor of inorganic chemistry, nanotechnology, and materials chemistry at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, has made significant strides in the development of next-generation energy storage technology. Her research, which has focused on energy storage for the past 20 years, seeks to move beyond lithium-ion batteries.
Nazar's latest innovation involves a new battery design that has withstood 2000 charge-discharge cycles with little loss of capacity. This breakthrough is particularly noteworthy as it could pave the way for a more sustainable and cost-effective alternative to current lithium-ion technology.
The new battery design appears to extend to graphene oxide as well, a material that has been observed to work quite well as a cathode host for lithium-sulfur batteries. Nazar's team proposes that reactions occur on the nanosheet that anchor soluble polysulfides to the cathode, addressing a major stumbling block for lithium-sulfur batteries.
One of the most likely successors to the lithium-ion battery is the lithium-sulfur battery. Weight-for-weight, this low-cost battery could take an electric car twice as far as current lithium-ion technology.
However, significant issues remain to be tackled. Improving cathode architecture and developing better binders to address the expansion-contraction effect that occurs when going from sulfur to the end product are among the challenges that Nazar and her colleagues are working to overcome.
Thomson Reuters named Linda Nazar one of the most highly cited researchers in the world and one of the most influential scientific minds of 2014. In July 2015, she was named to the Order of Canada for her contributions to materials electrochemistry.
Linda Nazar's journey in science began in high school, where she was drawn to both literature and science. However, she decided to pursue science because it seemed more interesting and versatile. Nazar went on to earn a PhD in chemistry from the University of Toronto and later became interested in electrochemistry and inorganic chemistry.
Nazar is an obvious role model for women wanting to enter science. She hopes that gender parity in her field of electrochemical energy storage will be achieved in the future as young women will naturally choose to seek careers in this area and excel.
Nazar's work is just one milestone along the way to achieving a lithium-sulfur cell that can cycle as effectively as some of the current lithium-ion batteries. With her continued research and dedication, Nazar is undoubtedly making significant strides towards revolutionizing the energy storage industry.
