GOALI: Lithium Alloy-Carbon Composite Nanofibers for Energy Storage by Electrospinning and Carbonization

GOALI学术联络机会奖的目标是应用电纺和碳化技术将不同的材料(锂合金和碳)集成到一种用于锂离子电池的新型复合纳米纤维中。所得到的纳米纤维材料结合了锂合金(高存储容量)和碳(长循环寿命)的优点，因为碳基质适应了包裹的锂合金纳米颗粒在锂插入/提取过程中的体积变化。复合纳米纤维可以电纺成可直接用作锂离子阳极的无纺布，从而消除了目前非活性材料的使用，从而提高了能量和功率密度。关于加工-结构-性能关系的基础知识将指导受控纳米/微结构和组合物的设计，以实现各种应用的增强材料性能。预期结果将产生重要的科学和经济影响。将制定无机-有机复合纳米纤维的静电纺丝和碳化指南。将实现不同材料(锂合金和碳)的多功能集成。此外，这项研究的更广泛影响包括研究生和本科生的参与，将最先进的研究成果纳入现有课程，以及与K-12项目合作，以增加新技术在公共教育中的使用和影响。

The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award is to apply electrospinning and carbonization technologies to integrate dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) into a novel type of composite nanofiber for use in lithium-ion batteries. The resultant nanofiber materials combine the advantageous properties of lithium alloy (high-storage capacity) and carbon (long-cycle life) in that the carbon matrix accommodates the volume change of the encapsulated lithium alloy nanoparticles during lithium insertion/extraction. The composite nanofibers may be electrospun into nonwoven fabrics that can be directly used as lithium-ion anodes and thereby eliminate the present use of non-active materials resulting in improved energy and power densities. Fundamental knowledge generated about the processing-structure-performance relationships will guide the design of controlled nano/microstructures and composition to achieve enhanced materials properties for various applications. The anticipated results will have important scientific and economic impact. Guidelines for both electrospinning and carbonization of inorganic-organic composite nanofibers will be established. Integration of dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) with multifunctionalities will be realized. Furthermore, the broader impact of this research includes the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, incorporation of the state-of-the-art research results into existing courses, and partnerships with K-12 programs to increase the use and impact of new technologies in public education.