Special Lecture by Shirley Meng, CNRS Ambassador for Chemical Sciences, on Electrochemical Energy Storage
Shirley Meng
Professor of Molecular Engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago (United States) and Vice President for Industry Relations at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (Singapore)
We are pleased to welcome Professor Shirley Meng to our laboratory (UMR 6502 CNRS, Nantes University) as part of her tour of France as a CNRS ambassador for the chemical sciences. She will deliver an exceptional lecture in the IMN auditorium on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
A professor of molecular engineering at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago (United States) and vice president for industry relations at Nanyang Technological University Singapore (Singapore), Shirley Meng will deliver a series of lectures at several laboratories in France beginning October 30, 2026.
An internationally recognized expert in energy storage materials, she focuses on the fundamental mechanisms that govern battery operation and aging, while exploring innovative solutions to improve their performance and durability. Her research opens up significant opportunities to transform the way we produce, store, and use energy.
This visit will be a unique opportunity to learn about his work and discuss current and future scientific challenges in electrochemical energy storage.
See you on Friday, November 6, at 2:30 p.m. at the IMN, on the Lombarderie campus of the Faculty of Science and Technology—Nantes University!
The conference is open to everyone, but registration is required. To confirm your attendance, please send an email to: communication@cnrs-imn.fr
Abstract
High-energy, long-life rechargeable batteries are considered a key enabling technology for deep decarbonization. Energy storage in electrochemical form is attractive due to its high efficiency and fast response time. In addition to their technological importance, electrochemical devices also provide a unique platform for fundamental and applied materials science and research, since ion movement is often accompanied by inherently complex phenomena related to phase changes, changes in electronic structure, and defect generation. Characterization techniques using synchrotron X-rays, electrons, and neutrons play a critical role in understanding ion transport, dynamic structural changes, and the corresponding degradation processes in high-energy rechargeable batteries. During my CRNS tour as the Ambassador of Chemistry, I will discuss several new perspectives for energy storage materials, including new superionic conductors, new intercalation compounds, and their interfacial engineering. With recent advances in photon and electron characterization tools and computational/AI methods, we can explore ionic mobility, charge transfer, and phase transformations in electrode and electrolyte materials in situ in materials that go beyond simple intercalation. As the world moves toward the electrification of everything, humanity will need more terawatt-hour-scale battery storage solutions beyond current lead-acid and lithium-ion chemistries. How to scale up rapidly and create truly circular approaches to manufacturing and recycling new battery chemistries—such as sodium-ion batteries and solid-state batteries—has become the most pressing need for our scientific community.
Contact: Philippe Moreau (ST2E)
