Benjamin Paren Investigates Materials at the Nanoscale to Help Address Challenges in Global Energy Sustainability

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are the fastest-growing energy technology, powering billions of devices. But what’s driving this growth – consumer demand for smart, eco-friendly devices or advancements in energy storage that power them? It’s a dynamic cycle: emerging materials reshape technology design and manufacturing, fueling the development of next-generation energy storage solutions. 

Batteries – which work in conjunction with other renewable energy solutions to reduce global fossil fuel reliance – have also gained worldwide governmental support, helping accelerate adoption and innovation. It was at this policy level that Benjamin Paren, assistant professor in Stevens' Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, discovered his passion for solving societal challenges regarding sustainability.

While also drawn to policy work, Paren ultimately realized his deeper interest lay in bench science and fundamental research. Today, Paren focuses on improving polymer electrolytes for energy storage devices, particularly batteries. 

"My work with polymer electrolytes is driven by my interest in materials for energy and sustainability," he said. Developing safe, high-performing polymer electrolytes for electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems, he added, "can play a crucial role in the transition to an all-renewable energy grid."

Understanding ion movement in polymers

In Li-ion batteries, ions shuttle between two electrodes through an electrolyte. The efficiency of this movement directly affects battery performance, according to Paren. 

"If things move quickly through the electrolyte, that means faster charging," he explained. "A poor electrolyte slows the process dramatically." Using a phone as an example, he noted that a weak electrolyte could result in hours or even days to fully charge, whereas a high-performing electrolyte could charge a device in minutes.

Most batteries today use liquid electrolytes because they allow ions to move quickly. However, "you hear stories about batteries exploding because a lot of these liquid electrolytes are made of volatile, flammable chemicals," Paren noted. This safety concern is a driving force behind his interest in polymer electrolytes, which are inherently safer since they eliminate the volatile components of liquid electrolytes.

Assistant Professor Benjamin Paren

The challenge, however, is that ions move significantly faster through liquid than through a semi-solid polymer. "My research looks at how to get ions to move faster through polymers," he explained. By studying their movement at a fundamental level, he aims to design polymer electrolytes that maintain safety while approaching the performance of liquid alternatives.

Working with polymer electrolytes at such a small scale presents challenges. Characterizing new materials requires precise sample preparation, and small adjustments can significantly impact experimental results. "We're studying phenomena that happen at the nanoscale. One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to prepare a sample exactly the way we need it for testing," Paren said, noting "a lot of trial and error" in the process. 

To help address the challenge, Paren employs dielectric spectroscopy to study ion movement under different conditions, generating complex data that require extensive analyses and interpretation. This method helps uncover how the dynamics are related to the polymer structure, to better understand how they can be optimized for real-world energy applications.

Paren emphasized the importance of battery safety. "At the end of the day, you don’t want your batteries exploding, right?" he said. "If you have a polymer, that just eliminates a big risk."

Beyond safety, polymer electrolytes offer additional advantages, such as mechanical stability, making them viable for flexible or foldable devices. While these materials are still largely in the lab stage and may have higher initial production costs, Paren highlighted their long-term potential for lower costs and improved efficiency. However, for use in batteries, researchers still need to enhance conductivity and performance to make them widely viable.

A collaborative, human approach to innovation

Paren’s work, which is deeply rooted in interdisciplinary collaboration, helps lay the groundwork for future applications. By engaging with fellow researchers from the new Stevens Center for Sustainability, Paren broadens the scope of potential solutions, helping to ensure that by the time a new material is ready for integration into devices, its properties and behaviors are fully understood. 

"We first need to understand how the ions move in the lab before we can understand how they’ll move in a device," he said. "It’s also really critical to work with experts across different fields because each of us focuses on a different layer of the problem. You need people working on electrodes, people testing devices in the lab, and people scaling these systems up for commercial applications."

Paren is also deeply committed to academia’s human element. "I love the research and the fundamental science. But I think the people part is so important," he said. His teaching philosophy prioritizes openness and adaptability, ensuring that Stevens students from diverse backgrounds feel supported and engaged. He also participates in campus initiatives and community service, reinforcing his belief in the power of academic communities and collaboration to drive innovation.