Esther Takeuchi to present at the 250th ECS Meeting in Calgary
Abstract: “Electrochemistry: A Keystone of the Energy Future”
- Remarkable advances over the last 100 plus years have driven significant progress, with continued progress anticipated.
- Electricity consumption will continue to grow as housing, industry, and transportation are electrified.
- As new forms of electricity generation are developed to meet growing demand, the ability to store and release electricity will increase in use.
- As the energy landscape continues to evolve, the criticality of electrochemistry will continue to advance.
Electrochemistry is ever present in devices ranging from portable communication and computers to electrified transportation, impacting how we live. Advances in the science and technology of these systems have been remarkable, and further progress is anticipated. History offers many transformative examples of electrochemistry’s impacts. Over 100 years ago, the introduction of electrolytic production of aluminum metal reduced its cost from that of silver metal to that of a readily available material. Other important industrial processes, such as electrowinning, remain essential for producing metals which are key to the needs of modern society.
Looking ahead, we can envision a landscape where electricity becomes the dominant energy source for housing, industry, and transportation. Demand is rising rapidly, driven in part by the demands of artificial intelligence and its associated data centers. Electrifying industrial processes through new and effective methods will require continued scientific innovation. Advances in materials and systems will further reduce the cost of electrified transportation. As new forms of electricity generation are developed to meet growing demand, the ability to store and release electricity at large scale and low cost will prove essential. In this evolving energy landscape, the criticality of electrochemistry will only continue to advance.
Dr. Esther Sans Takeuchi
Dr. Esther Takeuchi
Dr. Esther Takeuchi is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and the William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment at Stony Brook University. She holds a joint appointment at Brookhaven National Laboratory as Chief Scientist and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Science Department. Dr. Takeuchi invented the lithium/silver vanadium oxide battery that enabled the implantable cardiac defibrillator—a technology that has saved millions of lives worldwide. Recognizing that access to clean, reliable, and affordable energy directly scales with quality of life, her current research focuses on frontier electrochemical energy storage systems. These technologies aim to enable a clean energy future, spanning applications from electrified transportation and electric grid–level storage to demanding specialty uses.
After completing a BA at the University of Pennsylvania with a double major in chemistry and history, she completed her PhD in chemistry at The Ohio State University. Dr. Takeuchi pursued postdoctoral research in electrochemistry at the University of North Carolina and State University of New York at Buffalo. She joined SUNY Stony Brook in 2007 after a 22-year career at Greatbatch, Inc., where she participated in power source research and development.
Dr. Takeuchi was the first woman to be named a Distinguished Professor at the University at Buffalo and is recognized for holding over 150 U.S. patents—ranking her among history’s most prolific woman inventors. She is a is a Fellow of The Electrochemical Society, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), and American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)—and member of the National Academy of Engineering, National Inventors Hall of Fame, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Charter Member of the National Academy of Innovation. She received the 2009 National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President Obama as well as the 2022 National Academy of Sciences Award in Chemical Sciences, 2020 ECS Edward Goodrich Acheson Award, 2019 Sigma Xi Walston Chubb Award for Innovation, 2018 European Inventor Award, 2013 American Chemical Society (ACS) E. V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, and 2008 Astellas USA Foundation Award. In 2019, Notre Dame University awarded Dr. Takeuchi an honorary Doctorate in Engineering.
An active member since joining The Electrochemistry Society in 1985, Dr. Takeuchi served as ECS President in 2011–2012, on the ECS Executive Committee, and as Chair of the Battery Division in 2000–2002. She participated in numerous ECS committees including those involving awards, publications, and hiring of staff.
Related Resources
- “Batteries in Service of Human Health,” E. S. Takeuchi, D. C. Bock, L. M. Housel, A. C. Marschilok, and K. J. Takeuchi. The Electrochemical Society Interface, 2022, DOI 10.1149/2.F08223IF
- “Abuse Testing of Lithium-Ion Batteries: Characterization of the Overcharge Reaction of LiCoO₂/Graphite Cells,” R. A. Leising, M. J. Palazzo, and E. S. Takeuchi. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2001, DOI: 10.1149/1.1379740
- “Batteries Used to Power Implantable Biomedical Devices,” C. Bock, A. C. Marschilok, K. J. Takeuchi, and E. S. Takeuchi. Electrochimica Acta, 2012, DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2012.03.057
- “Electron and Ion Transport in Lithium and Lithium-Ion Battery Negative and Positive Composite Electrodes,” C. D. Quilty, D. Wu, W. Li, D. C. Bock, L. Wang, L. M. Housel, A. Abraham, K. J. Takeuchi, A. C. Marschilok, and E. S. Takeuchi. Chemical Reviews, 2023, DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00214
- Tracey, A. S.; Willsky, G. R.; Takeuchi, E. S. Vanadium: Chemistry, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Practical Applications. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2007.
- “Esther Takeuchi on Engineering Life-Saving Batteries,” ECS – Masters, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAM0KJOKRUI