Morgan Eyler

Charge storage in quinone crystals in aqueous batteries

This week we highlight the work of Morgan Eyler, a senior earning a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. After watching a few friends enjoy the Summer Scholars program, Morgan decided to apply, hoping to pursue research on charge storage in quinone crystals within aqueous batteries (organic materials submerged in aqueous solutions that allow charge to be transferred and generate working potential (volts)).

Through this study, Morgan wanted to determine the probability of a hydrated proton to exist in a pyrene-4,5,9,10-tetrone (PTO) crystal rather than in the surrounding water. Answering this question would help confirm whether protons can be stored in a PTO crystal versus at the surface.

The idea to research aqueous batteries stems from “the increasing interest in renewable energy and electric-powered transportation” and the need for “safer battery technology for large-scale applications.” By expanding upon the known properties of aqueous batteries, Morgan hopes to help pave the way for more non-flammable alternatives to traditional, flammable electrolytes.

The calculated voltage agreed with experimental results, however, one problem was with the sign of the results. Inverted numbers caused by inaccuracies in the program required troubleshooting but helped provide insight into the tools being used.

Morgan states that, moving forward, “I plan on incorporating a large component of the research I completed this summer into an honors thesis in chemistry that I plan on completing by May of 2019.”

To read more about the work Morgan’s team is doing, you can visit https://www.pgoyal-group.org/research/

The research isn't completed yet, there's still a lot of work that has to and can be done. Over the summer I was able to understand a portion of the system and its complexities, but there's still more questions to answer, as the full mechanisms aren't clear yet.