The Center for Organic Battery Innovation

In creating The Center for Organic Battery Innovation (COBI) at the University of Chicago, this project will pioneer a new class of sustainable batteries built entirely from earth-abundant organic materials—completely free of critical metals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. This breakthrough approach addresses urgent climate and energy security challenges by eliminating supply chain risks and dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Integrating molecular engineering and AI-guided discovery, COBI aims to significantly accelerate next-generation organic battery development, delivering safer, fully recyclable systems at lower costs. As a multidisciplinary collaboration with Argonne National Laboratory, COBI combines cutting-edge chemistry, engineering, computer science, and business expertise to transform energy storage, catalyze commercial opportunities, and advance global climate goals.

“COBI represents a bold new direction for energy storage—harnessing organic materials and AI-driven discovery to create batteries that are cleaner, safer, and entirely free of critical minerals. This Center positions UChicago and Argonne at the forefront of sustainable battery innovation, tackling one of the most pressing challenges of the clean energy transition. By redefining how we store energy with organic materials, we’re not only advancing science but also building the foundation for a more resilient and climate-aligned global economy. Leveraging UChicago’s state-of-the-art facilities for battery cell assembly, prototyping, and testing, COBI is uniquely equipped to accelerate breakthroughs from the lab to real-world applications.”

Shrayesh N. Patel, Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering & Argonne National Laboratory