Faces of Sustainability: Natalie Holzwarth
Today’s society is dependent upon our access to affordable and abundant energy sources. Our current fossil fuel-based energy supply is not limitless, and we are increasingly in need of finding a way to harness and store energy from alternative fuel sources that is safe, reliable and affordable.
Natalie Holzwarth is a professor of physics at Wake Forest University, whose specific area of interest in computational materials physics has led her to investigate alternative materials for battery storage. Her research focuses on modeling a solid electrolyte material, “LiPON,” which was developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is used in some small specialized batteries. The purpose of the research is to understand the basic properties of this material with the goal of using this knowledge to guide further development of new solid electrolytes for a wide variety of battery technologies. The role of the electrolyte in a battery is to control the flow of ions between its electrodes while forcing electrons to flow in the external circuit and provide electrical work. While most batteries today are made from liquid electrolyte materials, a battery designed with solid electrolytes could, in principle, provide increased stability, reliability, and safety. The research being conducted by Dr. Holzwarth and her students, which focuses on computer modeling to determine stable configurations of atoms in the electrolyte and likely migration paths of the active ions, is far removed from actual battery technology. They like to think (and hope) that their work is a necessary first step in improving energy storage capabilities.
Current fossil fuel energy sources are finite, and the decisions we make today about energy usage must not limit the decisions of future generations to come. Dr. Holzwarth reminds us that “for ourselves and for future generations, we must use and reuse our resources carefully.” Energy storage technologies promise to be an important component of a future sustainable energy economy.
Kathleen Pritchard, Communications and Outreach Intern