Abstract: Understanding how suspensions of electrically conductive nanoparticles respond to flow is of fundamental importance to engineering next generation battery technologies. In this talk, I will highlight how rheo-electric measurements, the simultaneous acquisition of electrical properties and rheological data, are essential to uncovering the complex interplay between electron transport and flow-induced particles dynamics in these suspensions. Further, using model colloidal systems consisting of silver coated nano- and micro- particles synthesized in our lab, I will detail our progress toward understanding the scaling relationships linking shear-induced and Brownian motion to predict the electrical conductivity. I will also outline how we can use these insights to improve the performance of flowing electrodes in suspension-based flow batteries and other electrochemical storage technologies.
Bio: Dr. Richards received his PhD in August 2014 from the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington. After graduating from UW, he performed his postdoctoral work at the University of Delaware and the NIST Center for Neutron Research in Gaithersburg, MD as a National Research Council Fellow. Dr. Richards joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Northwestern in 2018 where his current research focuses on engineering the properties of soft materials for electrochemical energy storage applications. During his time at Northwestern, Dr. Richards received the National Science Foundation’s CAREER award and the American Chemical Society’s Distinguished New Investigator Award.