Max Schulze is a researcher at NREL. For electrochemical energy storage technologies to be effective in addressing global energy challenges, he believes the materials need to be designed with holistic considerations that optimize the interplay between energy density, power density, lifetime, safety, recyclability, cost, and minimization of critical resource use. Combining this holistic vision with his varied background in materials synthesis allows him to bring creative, dynamic, and commercially relevant ideas to his research, rather than resorting to incremental or one-dimensional adaptions of materials designed for today’s lithium-ion batteries. Specifically, he believes the critical types of materials to develop are interfacial coatings, electrolyte additives, novel electrolytes, and/or solid electrolytes that address the poor mechanochemical stability of solid-electrolyte-interfaces of many next-generation electrodes. 

Research Interests

Si anodes for lithium-ion batteries (Silicon Anode Consortium)

Interfacial coatings for battery electrodes

Development of accelerated battery testing protocols

Education

Ph.D. Materials Chemistry, Colorado State University

B.S., Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines

Professional Experience

Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University (2015–2019)

Post-Baccalaureate Researcher, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2014–2015)

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (2011–2014)

Undergraduate Summer Student, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2010–2014)

Featured Work

Electrodeposition of Sb/CNT composite films as Anodes for Li- and Na-Ion Batteries, Energy Storage Materials (2020)

Electrodeposited Thin-Film Cu_xSb Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries: Enhancement of Cycle Life via Tuning of Film Composition and Engineering of the Film-Substrate Interface, J. Mater. Chem. A. (2018)

Synthesis and Characterization of N³-(2,2,2-Trinitroethyl)-1,2,4-Oxadiazole-3,5-Diamine, Chem. Heterocycl. Comp. (2017)

A High Density Pyrazolo-Triazine Explosive (PTX), J. Mater. Chem. A. (2015)

Synthesis and Characterization of Energetic Plasticizer AMDNNM, Journal of Energetic Materials (2015)

Shape-Directional Growth of Pt and Pd Nanoparticles, Nanoscale (2014)

Shape-Directed Platinum Nanoparticle Synthesis: Nanoscale Design of Novel Catalysts, Appl. Organometal. Chem. (2013)

Controlled Synthesis of Nanoscale Icosahedral Gold Particles at Room Temperature, ChemCatChem. (2012)

Patents

Stabilized Electrodes for Ion Batteries and Methods of Making the Same, U.S. Patent No. 0223704 A1 (2020)

Awards and Honors

Great Minds in Research Honorable Mention, Colorado State University (2017)

Outstanding Senior Research Award, Department of Chemistry, Colorado School of Mines (2014)

Distinguished Student Award, Los Alamos National Laboratory (2011)