My name is Anthony Romero, a second year Materials Science and Engineering PhD student advised by Prof Jun Liu and Prof Jihui Yang. My research is focused around integrating Li metal into the negative electrode in Li-ion batteries. If done correctly, we can increase the theoretical gravimetric capacity ~10x versus industrially standardized carbon-based negative electrodes. However, there are many scientific/engineering challenges with using Li metal; the most prominent being uneven plating and stripping during repeated cycling – which ultimately leads to premature and/or unexpected cell failure. Various approaches currently exist to address this problem, ranging from unique battery architectures (e.g., solid state batteries) to substrate/interfacial engineering to electrolyte engineering. Despite years of research, a high performing, safe, and inexpensive Li metal battery addressing this issue has yet to be commercialized. By experimenting with new and innovative solutions my colleagues and I have developed, I hope to further elucidate our fundamental knowledge of Li metal deposition and dissolution, and propose new approaches/processes to design and improve Li metal batteries.