Yang-Tse Cheng

Yang-Tse Cheng is the Frank J. Derbyshire Professor of Materials Engineering and Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Kentucky's Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering. He leads the Energy, Nanomechanics, and Surfaces (ENS) Research Laboratory, focusing on battery technology and materials science. His work bridges academic research with industrial applications, particularly in electric vehicle battery innovation.

• Professor of Materials Engineering (2008–present)
• Participating Faculty, NSF/UK IGERT Program on Engineered Bioactive Interfaces and Devices
• Faculty Member, UK Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing and UK Center for Advanced Materials
• Guest Professor at Chinese Academy of Sciences (2004–present)

Research Interests include:

• Materials for Energy Conversion and Storage
• Nanostructured Materials
• Mechanical properties of battery components
• Advanced battery manufacturing techniques
• Fast-charging battery technologies
• Cost reduction in battery production

Recent Research Trends (2025–2024):

• Investigating superionic boron cluster solid electrolytes for mechanical stability
• Developing self-healing solid-state battery configurations
• Optimizing dry-processed electrodes for NMC622/NMC811 cathodes
• Exploring single-crystal active materials for improved battery performance
• Studying molten sodium battery systems
• Advancing polymer binder engineering for ion transport

Scientific Awards:

• National Academy of Inventors Fellow (2017)

Labs & Facilities include:

• 2000+ sq. ft. lab with battery research capabilities
• Advanced electrochemical testing systems (BioLogic VMP3, Arbin BT-G-25)
• Nanoindentation equipment (G200, NanoTest Vantage)
• Thin film deposition systems (Atomic Layer Deposition, Sputtering)
• Shared university facilities: Electron Microscopy User Facility, Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering