Bio

Sanzeeda Baig Shuchi envisions a world where energy crisis is a thing of the past. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Chemical Engineering (ChemE) at Stanford University. Her current energy research focuses on improving and understanding lithium battery stability using surface science and interface engineering supervised by Prof. Stacey F. Bent and Prof. Yi Cui. She is a TomKat Center Graduate Fellow for Translational Research and a Link Foundation Energy Fellow. She completed her MS in ChemE from Stanford. She also received the Summer First Fellowship and ChemE departmental fellowship. Before Stanford, she completed her BS in the same field from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), where she graduated with the highest CGPA in the Faculty of Engineering and is a prime minister gold medal candidate. Other than research, she serves as the lab safety officer in Bent group and enjoys performing departmental student mentoring and student representative activities. She has also previously served as a co-organizer of Engineering Students for DEI (ES4DEI) at Stanford and the vice-president of Environment Watch: BUET. Outside the lab, she enjoys houseplants, interior decoration, painting, board games, and exploring local beaches and restaurants.

Education & Certifications

  • Master of Science, Stanford University, Chemical Engineering (2023)
  • Bachelor of Science, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Chemical Engineering (2021)

Contact

  • Academic
    sbshuchi@stanford.edu
    University - Student Department: Chemical Engineering Position: Graduate

Additional Info

  • Mail Code: 4300

All Publications

  • Enhanced ALD Nucleation on Polymeric Separator for Improved Li-S Batteries. ACS applied materials & interfaces D'Acunto, G., Shuchi, S. B., Zheng, X., Than, L. V., Geierstanger, E. M., Harake, M., Cui, A., Werbrouck, A., Mattinen, M., Cui, Y., Bent, S. F. 2025

    Abstract

    Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries, with their superior energy densities, are emerging as promising successors to conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, their widespread adoption is hindered by challenges such as the shuttle effect of polysulfides, which affects discharge capacity and cycling stability. This study explores the transformative potential of atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al2O3 on commercial PP/PE/PP separators (Celgard), combined with the use of UV ozone exposure to enhance ALD nucleation on the separator surface, to address these challenges. We demonstrate that ALD Al2O3 not only preserves the separator's inherent morphology but also enhances its chemical interactions toward polysulfide, crucial for optimal battery performance. Moreover, batteries with the modified separator exhibit an enhanced specific capacity, reaching up to ∼1150 mAh/g, and a reduced lithium plating overpotential, indicating improved kinetics. Our findings, based on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy surface characterization and electrochemical evaluations, underscore the significance of ALD-enhanced separators in elevating Li-S battery efficiency by polysulfide adsorption. The research opens up possibilities for high-performance Li-S batteries, suitable for a broad range of applications.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/acsami.4c09967

    View details for PubMedID 39810397

  • Continuous lithium extraction from brine by efficient redox-couple electrodialysis MATTER Xu, R., Xiao, X., Zhang, G., Ye, Y., Zhang, P., Yang, Y., Shuchi, S., Cui, Y. 2024; 7 (11)

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.matt.2024.07.014

    View details for Web of Science ID 001353962000001

  • Spontaneous lithium extraction and enrichment from brine with net energy output driven by counter-ion gradients NATURE WATER Zhang, G., Li, Y., Guan, X., Hu, G., Su, H., Xu, X., Feng, G., Shuchi, S., Kim, S., Zhou, J., Xu, R., Xiao, X., Wu, A., Cui, Y. 2024; 2 (11): 1091-1101

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s44221-024-00326-2

    View details for Web of Science ID 001390107600011

  • Deconvoluting Effects of Lithium Morphology and SEI Stability at Moderate Current Density Using Interface Engineering ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES Shuchi, S., Oyakhire, S. T., Zhang, W., Sayavong, P., Ye, Y., Chen, Y., Yu, Z., Cui, Y., Bent, S. F. 2024

    View details for DOI 10.1002/admi.202400693

    View details for Web of Science ID 001329694000001

  • Recovery of isolated lithium through discharged state calendar ageing. Nature Zhang, W., Sayavong, P., Xiao, X., Oyakhire, S. T., Shuchi, S. B., Vilá, R. A., Boyle, D. T., Kim, S. C., Kim, M. S., Holmes, S. E., Ye, Y., Li, D., Bent, S. F., Cui, Y. 2024; 626 (7998): 306-312

    Abstract

    Rechargeable Li-metal batteries have the potential to more than double the specific energy of the state-of-the-art rechargeable Li-ion batteries, making Li-metal batteries a prime candidate for next-generation high-energy battery technology1-3. However, current Li-metal batteries suffer from fast cycle degradation compared with their Li-ion battery counterparts2,3, preventing their practical adoption. A main contributor to capacity degradation is the disconnection of Li from the electrochemical circuit, forming isolated Li4-8. Calendar ageing studies have shown that resting in the charged state promotes further reaction of active Li with the surrounding electrolyte9-12. Here we discover that calendar ageing in the discharged state improves capacity retention through isolated Li recovery, which is in contrast with the well-known phenomenon of capacity degradation observed during the charged state calendar ageing. Inactive capacity recovery is verified through observation of Coulombic efficiency greater than 100% on both Li||Cu half-cells and anode-free cells using a hybrid continuous-resting cycling protocol and with titration gas chromatography. An operando optical setup further confirms excess isolated Li reactivation as the predominant contributor to the increased capacity recovery. These insights into a previously unknown pathway for capacity recovery through discharged state resting emphasize the marked impact of cycling strategies on Li-metal battery performance.

    View details for DOI 10.1038/s41586-023-06992-8

    View details for PubMedID 38326593

    View details for PubMedCentralID 8580315

  • Proximity Matters: Interfacial Solvation Dictates Solid Electrolyte Interphase Composition. Nano letters Oyakhire, S. T., Liao, S., Shuchi, S. B., Kim, M. S., Kim, S. C., Yu, Z., Vila, R. A., Rudnicki, P. E., Cui, Y., Bent, S. F. 2023

    Abstract

    The composition of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) plays an important role in controlling Li-electrolyte reactions, but the underlying cause of SEI composition differences between electrolytes remains unclear. Many studies correlate SEI composition with the bulk solvation of Li ions in the electrolyte, but this correlation does not fully capture the interfacial phenomenon of SEI formation. Here, we provide a direct connection between SEI composition and Li-ion solvation by forming SEIs using polar substrates that modify interfacial solvation structures. We circumvent the deposition of Li metal by forming the SEI above Li+/Li redox potential. Using theory, we show that an increase in the probability density of anions near a polar substrate increases anion incorporation within the SEI, providing a direct correlation between interfacial solvation and SEI composition. Finally, we use this concept to form stable anion-rich SEIs, resulting in high performance lithium metal batteries.

    View details for DOI 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c02037

    View details for PubMedID 37565722