ME2 Lab
In the Multi-scale Electrochemical Engineering Lab, We aim to address energy and sustainability challenges of our society with electrochemical engineering. Currently, we focus on energy storage, sustainable manufacturing and critical material extraction.
Dr. Gao recognized as a Highly Cited Researcher by Web of Science
Yana featured as Student Innovator for her work on low-cost batteries.
Dr. Gao receives NSF CAREER award!
Dr. Gao receives Investigator on the Rise Award!
Dr. Gao receives DOE grant on co-production of lithium, potassium and magnesium from lake brines!
Our approach: We aim to bridge the different scales in electrochemical energy and manufacturing systems. At the atomic/molecular scale, we design and synthesize new molecules and materials, characterize their structure and properties. At the macroscopic scale, we understand the thermodynamic, kinetic, transport behavior with experiments and modeling. We then translate the knowledge to the device scale, designing and developing new energy storage devices and manufacturing processes. We apply electrochemical, microscopic, and spectroscopic methods to characterize the electrode and electrolyte materials in electrochemical energy storage systems. In addition to experiments, we apply continuum-scale modeling (mass action law, etc.) to understand the speciation in the electrolyte and how it regulates the interfacial charge transfer reaction (thermodynamics, kinetics and transport) in the electrochemical energy systems.
We collaborate extensively with national labs and other labs to use their advanced characterization techniques, including high energy X-ray absorption, scattering and diffraction, cyro-EM, HRTEM, in-situ Raman/FT-IR, etc. We also collaborate with computational scientists for atomistic/molecular simulation, quantum chemistry calculation, ML modeling and theorists for microscopic modeling. For applied projects, we team up with system engineers (system modeling, TEA/LCA), material scientists, and chemists to develop new materials, technology and process.
Our vision on research: Our research is motivated by three national and global challenges: 1) more abundant and affordable renewable electrons offer unlimited potential to upgrade, decarbonize and transform industry processes for better efficiency, performance, sustainability, and economics; 2) novel separation techniques with better performance, less water and waste, flexible feedstock requirements are needed to secure supplies of metals and critical materials for building US energy, industry, and defense facilities; 3) the future energy infrastructure needs safer, greener, cheaper and longer-lasting energy storage to address the distributed and intermittent generation of renewable electricity, the increasing demand of AI data center, the aging grid, the booming electric transportation, and the emerging humanoid robotics
Novel electrochemical technologies and processes, building on new knowledge in the component (electrode and electrolyte) and their interface, offer potential solutions to these challenges. Our research focuses on the liquid electrolyte (aqueous solution, organic solution, etc.), the core component in an electrochemical cell that conducts ions, dissolve reactants/products (flow battery, electrolysis, electrowinning), stabilize interface (batteries), and regulate reaction selectivity (electro-synthesis). The functionality and properties of liquid electrolytes are governed by the interaction of ion-ion/molecules. Our research aims to understand these interactions and design the liquid electrolytes by combining experimental and computational approaches.
Our vision on education: we provide integrated research and education opportunities for students to grow and prosper. we believe: 1) students’ success is the lab’s success; 2) the elements for success are a promising direction, a productive working habit, a persistent spirit, an open and proactive attitude, and a sustainable way of work and life.
News
11/2025
Thomas joins the ME2 lab as a graduate research assistant. Welcome, Thomas!
10/22/2025
Dr. Gao visited UC San Diego and gave a seminar on “Understanding charge transfer reactions in electrochemical energy storage and processing systems“.
10/01/2025
Xzavier, Andrew and Alexandra join the ME2 lab as undergraduate researchers. Welcome!
09/09/2025
Jing’s paper on electrolytic ironmaking is published in Electrochemica Acta. Congrats, Jing! https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013468625017244
08/22/2025
Induja joins the ME2 lab as a graduate research assistant from CECRI in India. Welcome, Induja!
07/26/2025
Dr. Gao gave an invited talk at Utah Electrochemistry Symposium on “Iron electro-deposition in concentrated aqueous electrolytes: applications, mechanisms and theory“.
07/01/2025
Dr. Gao receives NSF CAREER award to work on electro-reduction of Fe ions and oxides in acidic environment. Congrats! https://www.che.utah.edu/career-tao-gao-is-exploring-iron-chemistry-for-green-applications/
04/28/2025
Dr. Gao visited Tufts University and gave a seminar on “Physical Insights into Critical Phenomena in Electrochemical Systems for Next-Generation Energy Storage and Beyond“.
04/17/2025
Yueyang joins the ME2 lab as a summer research intern from University of Pennsylvania. Welcome, Yueyang!
04/15/2025
Yana (Yunan) Qin is featured as a student innovator by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute for her innovative work on low-cost battery technologies. Check out the story here: https://lassonde.utah.edu/studentinnovation2025/. Congrats, Yana!
03/25/2025
Dr. Gao attended American Chemical Society Spring Meeting in San Diego and gave an invited talk in the “Advances in Electrochemistry“ symposium.
03/14/2025
The ME2 lab just kick-start a SBIR project from Army to develop electrolyte for wide-temperature lithium ion batteries with our industry partner. Kudos to all graduate and undergrad students working on Li-ion battery projects!
03/05/2025
Faezeh just join the ME2 lab as a visiting scholar from Italy. Welcome, Faezeh!
02/28/2025
Dr. Gao attended the Electronic Material and Application Workshop 2025 organized by American Ceramic Society and gave an invited talk on “Iron redox chemistry in concentrated aqueous electrolytes: applications, mechanisms and theory“.
02/05/2025
Dr. Gao’s co-invented patent on an electrochemical process to treat radionuclides in waste water is granted by US patent office! https://patents.google.com/patent/US12237091B2/en Congrats to the Bazant team who worked on this technology.
01/15/2025
The ME2 lab is awarded a DOE project together with our national lab partner to develop a sustainable process to produce lithium from Utah brine! News release here: https://www.energy.gov/fecm/articles/doe-invests-over-32-million-increase-efficiency-us-critical-minerals-production Kudos to all graduate and undergrad students working on the critical material projects!
12/09/2024
Yana (Yunan) Qin just successfully defended her PhD proposal, entitled “Electrolyte Engineering in Low-Cost Energy Storage Technologies“. Congratulations, Yana!
12/07/2024
Sreedeep Sreekumar joins the Zang Lab and ME2 lab as a postdoctoral researcher. Welcome, Sreedeep!
11/28/2024
ME2 lab’s first patent on lithium extraction is published. https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2024243029A3/en?inventor=Tao+Gao&assignee=university+of+utah&oq=inventor:(Tao+Gao)+university+of+utah. Congrats to all inventors!
11/14/2024
ME2 lab’s first patent on sustainable ironmaking process is published! https://patents.google.com/patent/US20240376621A1/en. Congrats to all inventors!
11/09/2024
Dr. Gao is awarded as the Highly Cited Research Recognition by Clarivate in cross fields again this year (webofscience.com/wos/author/record/ABD-1559-2021)! Check out the story here: https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/. Congratulations!
10/09/2024
Dr. Gao attended the Material Science and Technology Meeting 2025 in Pittsburg and gave a talk in the symposium “Decarbonization of Iron and Steel“.
10/04/2024
ME2 lab kickstarts a project funded by 1U4U the Future of Sustainability Seed Grant Program with our collaborator at chemistry to study ion conduction in membranes in non-aqueous electrolytes!
07/07/2024
Dr. Gao attended the 28th Annual Technological Advances in Science, Medicine, and Engineering (TASME) 2024 conference and gave an invited talk on Na-ion battery electrolytes.
07/03/2024
Dr. Gao gave a presentation to the Industry Advisory Board of UofU chemical engineering!
06/11/2024
ME2 lab’s first research work on sustainable ironmaking, done by our “Iron Lady“ Jing, is posted on ChemRxiv! https://chemrxiv.org/engage/chemrxiv/article-details/6667a3e612188379d8cef748. Congrats, Jing！
05/30/2024
ME2 lab recieves the UofU Faculty Small Grant Program to study Na-ion battery!
05/16/2024
Yana’s first paper on Na-ion battery is published. Congrats, Yana! https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/sc/d4sc02266a
01/01/2024
ME2 lab is awarded an seed grant from the Energy Accelerator Program of UofU to develop fast-charging and low-temperature lithium ion batteries!
12/21/2023
Congrats Dr. Gao to be recognized as the Highly Cited Researchers by @Clarivate again this year. https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/ABD-1559-2021
11/29/2023
Dr. Gao visited University of Massachusetts Boston and gave a talk on entitled “Electrochemical energy storage for grid and transportation: Is electrolyte a solution ?”
11/27/2023
Dr. Gao visited Bazant Lab at MIT and gave a talk on lithium deposition mechanism on graphite, Cu and Si substrate.
11/05/2023
Jing and Yana presented their battery research in AICHE annual meeting at Orlando, FL this week.
09/22/2023
Dr. Gao gave an invited talk at New Mexico State University on Li-ion batteries: state of the art, challenges and the future!
09/15/2023
ME2 Lab members are attending ACS Regional Meeting in Laramie, WY this week.
09/05/2023
Dr. Gao receives the Emerging Investigator Award from Journal of Material Chemsitry A. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/journals/articlecollectionlanding?sercode=ta&themeid=8ed57953-f72a-4aed-9839-19ae77f3c6d0. Congrats!
08/25/2023
Dr. Gao gave a graduate seminar at UU chemical engineering department!
07/26/2023
Zach’s paper on SOLE electrolytes for Li-ion batteries is accepted by Journal of Material Chemistry A. Congrats, Zach!
07/25/2023
ME2 Lab is awarded a DOE STTR grant to develop a technology for making green steel!
06/01/2023
ME2 Lab is awarded a NSF grant to study electrolyte design for flow batteries!
05/17/2023
Prof. Gao attended DOE AMMTO and IEDO office’s Annual Peer Review meeting.
05/01/2023
Hannah, Thomas and Seong-Gyu join ME2 Lab as undergraduate researchers! Welcome.
04/01/2023
ME2 Lab is awarded a seed grant from UU research foundation to develop novel membranes for clean energy conversion!
03/23/2023
Prof. Gao is chairing a symposium on Battery Materials and Technology in the ACS Spring meeting. Come to join this great battery science party!
03/25/2023
Prof. Gao chaired a symposium on Materials, Mechanisms and Methods in Battery Technology in ACS Spring Meeting at Indianapolis!
03/01/2023
ME2 Lab kicks off a partnership with NexGen Materials to develop a novel electrochemical process to extract lithium, the most critical material for a green economy.
03/01/2023
PhD student Ms. Jing Liu is awarded a competitive Graduate Research Fellowship. Congrats, Jing! https://gradschool.utah.edu/funding/fellowships-scholarships-awards/recipients/graduate-research-fellowship-recipients.php
01/09/2023
Zach (Zongjian) joins ME2 Lab as a PhD student. Welcome, Zach!
11/17/2022
Congrats Dr. Gao to be recognized as the 2022 Highly Cited Researchers by @Clarivate. https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/ABD-1559-2021
11/15/2022
Congrats to Dr. Gao for being recognized as the 2022 Rising Star of Science by Research.com! https://research.com/u/tao-gao
10/24/2022
Prof. Gao gave an invited talk on electrolytes for fast-charging Li-ion batteries in ECS Fall meeting in Atlanta, GA!
09/27/2022
Prof. Gao gave an invited talk on Fe metal batteries in a Telluride Workshop!
08/31/2022
Dr. Gao gave a graduate seminar at UU Material Science department!
08/25/2022
Prof. Gao chaired a symposium on Battery Materials and Technology in ACS Fall Meeting in Chicago!
08/24/2022
Prof. Gao is awarded the ACS Energy and Fuel Division Early Career Scientist!
06/15/2022
Prof. Gao attended a NSF peer review workshop in Arlington, VA!
03/25/2022
Prof. Gao chaired a symposium on Battery Materials and Technology in ACS Spring Meeting in San Diego!
09/01/2021
Yana (Yunan) joins ME2 Lab as a PhD student. Welcome, Yana!
07/01/2021
Jing joins ME2 Lab as a PhD student. Welcome, Jing!
01/01/2021
ME2 Lab is founded. Hello World!
08/02/2020
Prof. Gao joins University of Utah as an assistant professor in chemical engineering!