Northwestern University, $5,000
LiOnSafe is a Lithium-Ion Battery Separator that can be used by battery manufacturers to prevent thermal runaway, a situation where an increase in temperature changes the conditions in a way that causes a further increase in temperature, often leading to a destructive result. Overheating and exploding due to thermal runaway is a major pain point for LiB users, who must have safe batteries. LiOnSafe is a membrane, modified with a polymer, that can mitigate thermal runaway by 100%.