Guang Yang

Bio

Dr. Guang Yang is an electrochemical materials scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory with a joint faculty appointment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His research advances the science of processing and manufacturing for next-generation electrochemical energy technologies, with a central focus on how synthesis, materials processing, interface formation, and device fabrication govern microstructure, transport, reaction pathways, and long-term performance.

Working at the intersection of materials chemistry, electrochemical engineering, and advanced characterization, Dr. Yang combines an engineering mindset with deep fundamental inquiry. His research is driven by process–structure–property–performance relationships: understanding how materials and interfaces evolve during processing and operation, and using that knowledge to design scalable, reliable, and manufacturable electrochemical systems. He develops operando spectroscopy, imaging, and electrochemical diagnostic platforms to probe complex reaction mechanisms, interfacial evolution, and degradation processes under realistic operating conditions.

Dr. Yang has also pioneered AI- and machine-learning-enabled workflows for high-throughput processing and interpretation of multimodal spectroscopy and imaging datasets, including feature extraction, signal deconvolution, pattern recognition, and quantitative structure–property correlation. His research spans high-energy all-solid-state batteries, redox flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage, Li/Na–S batteries, electrochemical CO₂ conversion, and electrified surfaces and interfaces.

He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, with an H-index of 39 and an i10-index of 80, and has contributed two book chapters. Since launching his independent research career, Dr. Yang has led more than $10 million in research programs supported by the U.S. Department of Energy and industrial sponsors. His honors include the ARPA-E Early Career Award, the RSC Emerging Investigator Award, and the UT-Battelle Outstanding Scholarly Output Award.

Current Key Team Members:

• Dr. Michelle Lehmann (Polymer Synthetic Chemist,  membranes for energy storage)
• Dr. Wenda Wu (Postdoc Fellow, redox flow and CO₂ batteries redoxmers and membranes development, small molecule and inorganic synthesis)
• Dr. Chanho Kim (Postdoc Fellow, all-solid-state battery electrode scalable synthesis, processing [wet and dry], solid-state battery assembly, and evaluations)
• Dr. Andre Adam (Postdoc Fellow, advanced battery diagnosis, mass transport modeling)
• Ms. Ella Williams (Ph.D. Student, NSF GRFP Fellow, electrode/solid-state electrolyte interface) 
• Fuead Hasan (GRO Fellow, co-mentor with Prof. Christopher M. Bejger, next-gen aqueous redox flow batteries)
• Adam Hsieh (Research Assistant, co-mentor with Prof. Nian Liu, redox flow battery membrane and ion transport model development) 

Selected Recent Publications (all as leading author):

1. All Solid-state Batteries, Science of Processing/Interfaces 

   Kim, C., Li, Y., Jang, I., Wu, W., Su, Y.F., Meyer III, H.M., Keum, J., Nanda, J. and Yang, G., 2025. Pushing the Limits: Maximizing Energy Density in Silicon Sulfide Solid‐State Batteries. Advanced Materials, 37(27), p.2502300.

   Kim, C., Li, Y., Adam, A., Wu, W., Parker, G., Jang, I., Ahn, Y., Su, Y.F., Meyer III, H.M., Yu, X.Y. and Nanda, J., and Yang, G. 2026. Self-generated phosphate/oxysulfide passivation from dry-processed single-crystal NMC811 stabilizes argyrodite sulfide interfaces. Energy Storage Materials, p.105009.

   Zheng, X., Xue, Z., Hao, H., Cho, Y., Li, Y., Kim, C., Czaja, P., Lee, S.S., Bone, S., Spielman-Sun, E. and Jiang, Z., 2025. Unravelling electro-chemo-mechanical interplay in layered oxide cathode degradation in solid-state batteries. Science Advances, 11(41), p.eady7189.

   Li, Y., Cho, Y., Cai, J., Kim, C., Zheng, X., Wu, W., Musgrove, A.L., Su, Y., Sacci, R.L., Chen, Z. and Nanda, J., and Yang, G. 2025. Effects of catholyte aging on high-nickel NMC cathodes in sulfide all-solid-state batteries. Materials Horizons, 12(1), pp.119-130.

   Li, Y., Kim, C., Cho, Y., Musgrove, A.L., Parker, G.D., Su, Y.F., Sacci, R.L., Yu, X.Y., Zawodzinski, T., Nanda, J. and Yang, G., 2025. Promising performance of sulfide catholytes compared to halide alternatives in NMC811 cathodes for sheet-type sulfide solid-state batteries. Energy Storage Materials, 80, p.104385.

   Mills, A., Kalnaus, S., Tsai, W.Y., Su, Y.F., Williams, E., Zheng, X., Vaidyanathan, S., Hallinan Jr, D.T., Nanda, J. and Yang, G., 2024. Elucidating polymer binder entanglement in freestanding sulfide solid-state electrolyte membranes. ACS Energy Letters, 9(6), pp.2677-2684.

2. Redox Flow Batteries & Composite Membranes

   Wu, W., and Yang, G. 2026. Are CO2 Batteries Ready for the Grid? A Cross-Cutting Deployment Checklist. Matter (Just Accepted)

   Wu, W., Hasan, F., Gao, Y., Kim, C., Jang, I., Li, Y., Lehmann, M., Meyer III, H.M., Cheng, L., Bejger, C.M. Li, X. and Yang, G., 2026. Suppressing polysulfide shuttling via a supporting electrolyte concentration-asymmetric (SEC-Asym) design based on electrolyte ionic strength for stable promoted Na–polysulfide redox-flow batteries. Energy Storage Materials, 90, p.105275.

   Wu, W., Goswami, M., Hsieh, C.T., Kim, C., Li, Y., Liu, N. and Yang, G., 2026. Cation‐Diffusive Carbon Interlayers Stabilize Na Metal and Double the Current in Na‐S Redox‐Flow Batteries for Grid‐Scale Energy Storage. Advanced Functional Materials, p.e31310.

   Wu, W., Lehmann, M., Li, Y., Cheng, L. and Yang, G., 2024. Optimizing Nonaqueous Sodium–Polysulfide Redox-Flow Batteries: The Role of Solvation Effects with Glyme Solvents. ACS Energy Letters, 9(12), pp.5795-5800.

   Lehmann, M.L., Wu, W., Li, Y., Kim, C. and Yang, G., 2026. Binder-Stabilized Carbon Fiber Hosts for High-Utilization Sodium–Polysulfide Flow Catholytes. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 173(11), p.110512.

   Hsieh, C.T., Wu, W., Eeso, K., Chen, Z., Leisen, J., Filippas, A., Lehmann, M., Yang, G. and Liu, N., 2025. Unveiling the Reactivity of Fluoropolymers with Sodium Metal: Mechanistic Insights and Battery Implications. JACS Au, 5(7), pp.3513-3520.

   Lehmann, M., Saito, T., Kamaludeen, M. and Yang, G., 2025. Development of Tailored Hydrocarbon‐Based Pentablock Copolymer Membranes for Sodium‐Polysulfide Flow Batteries. Batteries & Supercaps, 8(2), p.e202400401.

3. Advanced Interfacial Diagnosis for Electrochemical System 

   Operando spectroscopy and advanced imaging

   Adam, A., Kim, C., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Bilheux, J.-C., Li, X., Cheng, L., Bilheux, H. and Yang, G., 2026. Operando neutron radiography validates a parameter-free transport–kinetics model for thick solid-state battery cathodes. Materials Horizons, Advance Article.

   Yang, G., Li, X., Cheng, Y., Wang, M., Ma, D., Sokolov, A.P., Kalinin, S.V., Veith, G.M. and Nanda, J., 2021. Distilling nanoscale heterogeneity of amorphous silicon using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) via multiresolution manifold learning. Nature Communications, 12(1), p.578.

   Nanda, J., Yang, G., Hou, T., Voylov, D.N., Li, X., Ruther, R.E., Naguib, M., Persson, K., Veith, G.M. and Sokolov, A.P., 2019. Unraveling the nanoscale heterogeneity of solid electrolyte interphase using tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Joule, 3(8), pp.2001-2019.

   Yang, G., Sacci, R.L., Ivanov, I.N., Ruther, R.E., Hays, K.A., Zhang, Y., Cao, P.F., Veith, G.M., Dudney, N.J., Saito, T. and Hallinan, D.T., 2019. Probing electrolyte solvents at solid/liquid interface using gap-mode surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 166(2), pp.A178-A187.

   Yang, G., Ivanov, I.N., Ruther, R.E., Sacci, R.L., Subjakova, V., Hallinan, D.T. and Nanda, J., 2018. Electrolyte solvation structure at solid–liquid interface probed by nanogap surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. ACS nano, 12(10), pp.10159-10170.

   Yang, G., Nanda, J., Wang, B., Chen, G. and Hallinan Jr, D.T., 2017. Self-assembly of large gold nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 9(15), pp.13457-13470.

   Yang, G., 2017. Self-Assembly of Gold Nanoparticles into Monolayer Films (Doctoral dissertation, The Florida State University).

   Yang, G. and Hallinan, D.T., 2016. Gold nanoparticle monolayers from sequential interfacial ligand exchange and migration in a three-phase system. Scientific Reports, 6(1), p.35339.

   Yang, G., Hu, L., Keiper, T.D., Xiong, P. and Hallinan Jr, D.T., 2016. Gold nanoparticle monolayers with tunable optical and electrical properties. Langmuir, 32(16), pp.4022-4033.

   Yang, G. and Hallinan Jr, D.T., 2016. Self-assembly of large-scale crack-free gold nanoparticle films using a ‘drain-to-deposit’ strategy. Nanotechnology, 27(22), p.225604.

Professional Experience

• Senior R&D Staff, Energy Storage&Conversion Group, ORNL (2026-present)
• R&D Staff, Energy Storage&Conversion Group, ORNL (2020-2026)
• Joint Faculty, Bredesen Center – University of Tennessee, Knoxville (2021-present)
• Postdoc, Energy Storage&Conversion Group, ORNL (2017-20)
• ASTRO Fellow, Energy Storage&Conversion Group, ORNL (2016)
• Research Assistant, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, U.S. (2013-16)
• Teaching Assistant, Florida State University, U.S.  (2012-16)

Awards

• RSC Emerging Investigator Award
• ARPA-E Early Career Researcher Award
• UT-Battelle Out Standing Scholarly Output 
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory ASTRO Scholarship 
• Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Wuertternberg scholarship

Education

• Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, Florida State University, U.S. (2017)

  Thesis topic: Facilitate Research in Lithium Batteries by Surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS)

• M.S. Advanced Materials, Universität Ulm, Germany (2012)
• B.S. Biomedical Engineering (minor medical electronics), Southeast University, China (2009)

Professional Service

• American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring, 2026,  “Metal-Alloy Anodes & Next-Gen Electrolytes" Symposium organizer 
• American Chemical Society (ACS) Spring, 2025,  “High-Energy Battery Frontiers: Innovating Materials and Technologies" Symposium organizer 
• Beyond Lithium XIV Conference 2024 (with six DOE national labs, NASA, and IBM), co-organizer 
• Associate Editor for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, Frontiers in Energy Research, 2022 
• The electrochemical Society (ECS241) Meeting A02 Symposium, 2022, Lithium Ion Batteries Symposium organizer
• Guest Editor for Frontiers in Energy Research, special issue “Solid-State Electrolytes for Next-Generation Energy Storage”, 2020
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory 6^TH ORPA Symposium, 2018, Chair, Physical Sciences Computational
• 2018 MRS Fall Meeting Session ET07.07: Surface and Interface Engineering for Energy Materials, Session Chair
• 2018 MRS Fall Meeting Session CM03.18: In Situ/Operando Analysis of Electrochemical Materials and Interfaces, Session Chair

Active journal reviewer for Nature Materials, Nature Energy, Nature Communications, Nature Sustainability, Science Advances, Joule, Energy & Environmental Science, Advanced Materials, Advanced Energy Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, Materials Horizons, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Langmuir, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, Energy Storage Materials, Journal of Power Sources, Journal of Applied Physics A, etc

Professional Affiliations

• Member of the Electrochemical Society (ECS)
• Member of American Chemical Society (ACS)        
• Member of American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)          
• Member of American Physical Society (APS) 

Specialized Equipment

     Solid-state Batteries Wet/Dry Processing and High-throughput SSB Testing:

• High throughput all-solid-state battery electrochemical testing bed (~300 channels) 
• Solid-state battery operando pressure monitor system (12 channels) 
• Scalable electrode and solid-state electrolyte membranes (sulfide) processing system devices (isostatic press, slurry mixer, air-tight planetary ball mills, ultrasolic homogenizer, tape caster, slot die caster, hot roller press, spray coater, etc)

• Solid-state battery single-layer prototype cell devices (sheet die cutter, ultrasonic spot welding machine, heating vacuum sealer) 

  Redox-Flow Batteries:

• Multiscale redox flow battery testing beds (10W, 100W, 2kW [planned])

• Glove-box enclosed redox flow battery testing beds for non-aqueous RFBS

  Advanced Battery Characterizations: 

• Operando Neutron tomography and radiography (with Dr. Yuxuan Zhang and Dr. Hassina Bilheux) 
• Operando Electrochemical Raman spectroscopy & imaging with machine learning analysis tools 
• AFM-Raman system 
• Glove box-enclosed Raman spectroscopy/FT-IR for air-sensitive materials 
• Fluorescence Spectroscopy; Ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy

Trademarks and Patents

• Yang, Kim. “3D Structured Anode Enabled by Porous Current Collector for Fast Charging in Solid-State Batteries.” Invention Disclosure ID# 202506025 (2026).
• Yang, Kim. “Dry Processing of Ceramic–Polymer Hybrid Membranes.” Invention Disclosure ID# 202506130 (2026).
• Yang, Mills. “Free-Standing Sulfide Solid-State Electrolyte Membranes.” U.S. Patent Application No. 19/066,900 (2025).
• Yang, Lyu, Serov, Belharouak. “Scalable Nitrogen-Carbon Catalyst for CO2 Reduction Using Nitrogen Plasma (N2) Treatment.” U.S. Patent Application No. 63/783,389 (2025).
• Yang, Lehmann. “Hydrocarbon-Based Membrane for Sodium Polysulfide Batteries.” U.S. Patent Application No. 63/761,690 (2025).
• Yang, Kim. “High-Energy-Density All-Solid-State Batteries Enabled by Low-Cost Micro-Silicon Anode.” U.S. Patent Application No. 63/752,563 (2025).
• Yang, Nanda, Hallinan, Mills, Chen. “Free-Standing Sulfide Solid Electrolyte Separators.” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 19/029,219 (2025).
• Yang, Nanda, Hallinan, Mills, Chen. “Fabrication of Thin-Film Sulfide Solid-State Electrolyte through a Slurry Processing Route.” U.S. Patent Application No. 63/455,305 (2023).
• Yang G., Nanda J., Veith G. M., inventors; UT-Battelle, LLC, assignee. “Non-Carbonate Electrolytes Stabilize Silicon Anodes.” U.S. Patent Application No. 17/713,449 (October 6, 2022).
• Yang G., Nanda J., Saito T., Delnick F. M., inventors; UT-Battelle, LLC, assignee. “Mechanically Robust Solid Electrolyte Compositions for Alkali and Beyond-Alkali Metal Batteries.” U.S. Patent Application No. 17/397,233 (February 10, 2022).
• Hallinan, D. T., Jr.; Yang, G. “Gold Nanoparticle Monolayers from Sequential Interfacial Ligand Exchange and Migration in a Three-Phase System.” U.S. Patent No. 9,911,520 B2 (March 6, 2018).
• Hallinan, D. T., Jr.; Yang, G. “Alkylamine-Gold Monolayers Having Tunable Electrical and Optical Properties.” U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/252,944 (November 9, 2015).
• Yang, G.; Gu, N.; Liu, J. “A Microwave Device with Adjustable Multiple Parameters for Nanoparticle Self-Assembly.” Chinese Patent Application No. 201110005046.9.

Publications