The object
Jay Whitacre developed the Aqueous Hybrid Ion battery, a sodium-ion stationary-storage cell designed around abundant, nonflammable materials. The physical battery targeted grid applications where cycle life and low-cost materials matter more than the energy density demanded by portable electronics.
01
What Jay did
Developed the aqueous hybrid-ion battery architecture that became the basis for Aquion Energy’s stationary-storage hardware.
02
Why it matters
Carnegie Mellon identifies Whitacre’s battery as the basis for Aquion Energy, a dedicated energy-storage technology company.
03
Living-status check
Carnegie Mellon’s current faculty directory, reviewed in July 2026, lists Whitacre as Trustee Professor in Energy and describes his ongoing energy-storage device research.