Abstract: Free radicals get a lot of bad press. They are often blamed for everything from aging to cancer while rarely getting credit for any positive contributions or, for that matter, life itself. Organic Chemistry textbooks continue the smear campaign, generally giving the impression that radicals are very reactive species with only a fleeting existence and a tendency to induce wrong answers on midterm exams. Contrary to popular belief, however, it is possible to design and create radical species that are sufficiently stable to put in a bottle and keep on a shelf. It is also possible to fabricate new “real world” products and devices that rely on the generation of stable free radicals for their operation. For example, the incorporation of organic “redox shuttles” in lithium batteries can be used to prevent fires and explosions that sometimes result from improper charging. In addition, these compounds can serve as building blocks for new materials in nonaqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) that promise to provide long service lifetimes with reasonably high voltages (2.2 V or higher) at very low cost. Recent progress in this area will be described.

Speaker Bio: Dr. Guarr earned a PhD at the University of Rochester, and performed postdoctoral work at Caltech before joining the faculty at the University of Kentucky in 1986. Subsequently, he served as the Vice President for Chemical Research and Aerospace Technology at Gentex Corporation, a Michigan-based company that developed electrochromic devices for automotive and aerospace applications. Currently, Dr. Guarr serves as the Director of Research and Development at the Michigan State University Bioeconomy Institute in Holland, Michigan. In 2014, he co-founded Jolt Energy Storage Technologies, LLC and also functions as its Chief Scientist. His research interests include photochemistry, electrochemistry, and materials science. He has co- authored numerous scientific publications in several fields and currently holds over 65 US patents.