Overview
Chi's research interest is on designing better materials by advancing our knowledge of the behavior of atoms, electrons, and ions in materials using novel electron microscopy, for applications in energy, sustainability, and microelectronics.
Current Appointments & Affiliations
Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
·
2023 - Present
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science,
Pratt School of Engineering
Recent Publications
Unraveling the Origin of Grain Boundary Lithium Deficiency in Ceramic Solid Electrolytes
Journal Article ACS Energy Letters · April 11, 2025 Realizing solid electrolytes with low grain-boundary (GB) resistance is critical for advancing all-solid-state batteries. High GB resistance in SEs is often attributed to deficiencies in mobile ions at these boundaries; yet, when and how these deficiencies ... Full text CitePhase Changes of Multielemental Alloy Nanoparticles at Elevated Temperatures.
Journal Article ACS nano · April 2025 Multielemental alloy (MEA) nanomaterials, such as medium and high entropy alloys, display promising catalytic performance in a range of chemical reactions due to their multicomponent structural configurations. These complex structural and chemical arrangem ... Full text CiteStrain-Driven Stabilization of a Room-Temperature Chiral Multiferroic with Coupled Ferroaxial and Ferroelectric Order
Journal Article Advanced Functional Materials · March 4, 2025 Noncollinear ferroic materials are sought after as testbeds to explore the intimate connections between topology and symmetry, which result in electronic, optical, and magnetic functionalities not observed in collinear ferroic materials. For example, ferro ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Collaborative Research: GCR: Non-Equilibrium Electrochemical Plasma Catalysis for Distributed Electrified Ammonia Synthesis
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2024 - 2029ESRA Energy Storage Research Alliance
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Argonne National Laboratory · 2024 - 2028Enabling cryogenic LHe cooing STEM
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory · 2024 - 2027View All Grants
Education, Training & Certifications
University of California, Davis ·
2008
Ph.D.