UChicago PME Materials Special Seminar- Chenxi Sui

Electrochemical processes offer an unparalleled degree of control over matter — enabling the reversible assembly, transformation, and repair of materials with atomic precision under ambient conditions. In this seminar, I will present how these principles can be harnessed to design electrochemically programmable materials that couple energy conversion, storage, and adaptive functionality. I will begin with electrochromic building envelopes that utilize reversible metal electrodeposition to dynamically regulate solar absorption and thermal emission, achieving seasonally switchable heating and cooling for net-zero buildings. I will then discuss epitaxial electrodeposition of metals on single-crystal substrates, revealing how solution-phase electrochemical control can direct crystallographic alignment and unlock pathways for low-temperature crystal growth and high-performance aqueous batteries. Looking forward, I envision extending these concepts toward electrochemical manufacturing platforms capable of programmable material synthesis, adaptive interface engineering, and closed-loop process optimization enabled by artificial intelligence. By integrating electrochemical kinetics with data-driven control, such systems could enable sustainable manufacturing of functional materials with minimal energy input and environmental footprint—bridging electrochemistry, materials science, and systems engineering for a circular energy future.