Chen got her doctorate in macromolecular science and engineering from the University of Michigan, with a dissertation on controlling nanoparticles’ spatial distribution within a thin-film polymer host. She completed postdoctoral studies at the University of California-Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, studying the structure of polymers with electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering.
While Chen collects her data, she is also interested in what happens to polymer products in general, not just electrolytes for EV batteries.
Chelsea Chen, polymer physicist at ORNL, stands in front of an eight-channel potentiostat and temperature chamber used for battery and electrochemical testing. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy.
Just the ‘FaCTs’
As an undergraduate student at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, Chen was surrounded by polymer experts. “They have a big polymer program housed in their chemistry department,” says Chen. “I worked with so many professors who specialized in polymers.”
(ORNL: Oak Ridge, TN) — For those who dream of driving their electric vehicle long distances to see the world’s largest ball of twine, Chelsea Chen is dedicated to making it possible.
She also appreciates the multidisciplinary collaboration. “University work is very siloed,” says Chen. “My favorite thing about the lab is that I can access an expert in any field if I have a problem or question. They are all right here.”
The future of plastics
Chen’s research at ORNL focuses on developing solid-state batteries and understanding ion transport in polymer-ceramic composite electrolytes and at electrolyte/electrode interfaces.
Chen has built her career around understanding the structures, properties, and behaviors of polymers. Before joining ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division in 2017, Chen was a senior chemist at Dow Chemical. There, she focused on developing polymer dielectric films with increased thermal conductivity and mechanical flexibility for semiconductor applications.
To address this, Chen is researching solid polymer electrolytes.
Chen, a polymer physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is studying ion transport in solid electrolytes that could help electric vehicle battery charges last longer.
Chen was born in northeast China. Her favorite subject in high school was chemistry. “I was always interested in the titration experiments, seeing how one material reacts with another,” she says.
Chen’s work advances sustainable chemistry through recycling and upcycling—think of shoes made of water bottles. She hopes research like hers will help public and private sectors consider and address end-of-life issues in polymer design.
Chen has welcomed the environment change and enjoys the benefits of working at a national lab.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and Office of Science fund Chen’s work. Her research often relies on the Spallation Neutron Source and the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Office of Science user facilities at ORNL.
“We should really be reusing polymers for something else instead of discarding them into the ocean,” says Chen, speaking of the packaging industry and consumer plastics. “Unfortunately,” she says, “it’s cheaper to make new ones instead of recycling.”
To improve the sustainability of EV batteries, manufacturers are interested in recycling spent batteries to recapture materials like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Chen thinks that polymers deserve the same recycling consideration.
UT-Battelle manages ORNL for the Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit energy.gov/science.