
Sporting the moniker “Dahn lab” graduates, a talented cohort is bolstering an unexpected, Halifax-centric research epicenter focusing on developing batteries that could aid in overcoming fossil fuels.
Positioned at the core of this tightly interlinked group is Jeff Dahn, an illustrious Dalhousie University physics and chemistry professor. On October 9th, Dahn was bestowed with the highly esteemed Olin Palladium Award by the Electrochemical Society. This honor, previously awarded to the likes of Nobel laureates, acknowledges Dahn’s vast contributions to enhancing rechargeable batteries.
As highlighted in the award citation, Dahn’s expertise forms the foundation of 78 patented or patent-pending inventions. His tutelage has shaped the careers of more than 65 doctorate and 30 post-doctoral researchers, many of whom are now at the helm of leading battery firms worldwide.
Despite the complex nature of their research, Dahn simplifies their mission into a clear agenda: to wage a war on climate change. The key weapons? Effective energy storage technologies capable of conservatively harnessing solar and wind power.
The inception of Dahn’s laboratory dates back to the 1980s when he was actively involved in early development of lithium-based batteries. Upon returning to Nova Scotia to serve as an educator, he leveraged his industry experience to foster a collaboration with Tesla in 2016. The partnership led to a series of breakthroughs in enhancing the longevity, safety, and energy density of battery cells.
Currently, Dahn’s lab serves as the scientific home for approximately 40 researchers. With the addition of two new professors to ensure the lab’s continuity after his retirement, the knowledge exchange continues, focusing on strategies to extend battery lifetimes.
Graduate Chris Burns, an essential cog in the Dahn network, adeptly embodies the lab’s spirit and function. During his tenure with Dahn in 2009, Burns developed high-precision systems to assess the endurance of lithium-ion cells. This foundational work led to the establishment of Novonix Ltd., a company praised by Dahn for offering the “most accurate” battery testing systems worldwide.
Novonix, which started with a three-member crew in 2013, has swelled to over 90 staff. Its capacity allows small-scale production of prototype batteries, with over 1,000 batteries currently under assessment for varied applications and life cycles.
Across the harbor, another Dahn lab alumnus, Ravi Kempaiah, is harnessing his association with Burns and Dahn to channel similar success into a commercialized battery for e-bikes and scooters in warmer countries, including India. Kempaiah, the CEO of Zen Energy, envisages a significant role for smaller batteries in transforming urban transport.
According to Kempaiah, the collaborative research from Dahn’s lab and Novonix’s testing center has been instrumental in creating a product that promises a significantly longer lifespan than existing market offerings.
As to the question of whether the research and the drive to diversify and improve batteries will endure beyond Dahn’s guidance and the initial startups, Dahn is optimistic. He’s confident the new generation of researchers will build on prior discoveries, and with the backing of significant university and federal research funding, technological strides are assured.
Jeff Dahn remains resolute about continuing to innovate in his epoch-making quest for longer-lasting batteries. He unwaveringly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with global students, committed to a mission that echoes within the province he grew up in and intends to remain in. “A lot of people are trying to move me, but I basically say, ‘I’m not moving,'” says a steadfast Dahn.