Yeyoung Ha is a staff scientist in the interface and surface science research group at NREL. Her current research includes identifying failure mechanisms of lithium (Li)-ion battery technologies targeted for various applications, ranging from electric vehicles to stationary storage, as well as evaluating the thermal behavior of battery components toward development of safer Li-ion batteries.

She received her doctorate in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the supervision of Professor Andrew A. Gewirth. Her doctoral studies focused on electrochemical interfaces in energy conversion and storage systems. Prior to joining NREL, she worked at LG Chem as a research scientist on developing next-generation batteries. 

Research Interests

Electrochemical energy storage

Critical-material-free battery technologies

Battery thermal analysis and safety

Education

Ph.D., Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

B.S., Chemistry, Hanyang University

Professional Experience

Research Scientist, LG Chem (2017–2019)

Featured Work

Probing the Evolution of Surface Chemistry at the Silicon-Electrolyte Interphase via In-Situ Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy, J. Phys. Chem. Lett (2020)

In Situ Surface Stress Measurement and Computational Analysis Examining the Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Pt and Pd, Electrochim. Acta (2018)

Effect of Concentration on the Electrochemistry and Speciation of the Magnesium Aluminum Chloride Complex Electrolyte Solution, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces (2017)