SBIR Phase II: Engineered Solid Electrolyte Interphase Films for Silicon-Based Lithium Insertion Anodes

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目计划开发用于锂离子电池的表面工程硅阳极并将其商业化。硅的充电容量是石墨的十倍，但由于与锂离子循环(破裂、粉化)和硅表面不必要的化学反应相关的机械问题，硅作为负极材料的实际使用受到阻碍。电化学材料(EM)开发了湿表面功能化方法，使硅纳米颗粒能够在没有机械故障或有害副反应的情况下进行可逆循环。在这项工作中，EM将开发表面化学和集成方法，为片剂大小(4000 mA？h)的锂离子电池制造阳极。EM将开发一种可扩展的制造工艺，并展示采用表面工程硅纳米颗粒的电池。新的阳极将使电池在1000次以上的循环中达到比传统锂离子电池高30%至40%的容量。该项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是，更高容量的锂离子电池将很快在便携式电子产品和电动汽车中实现。锂离子电池给便携式通信和电动汽车电源带来了革命性的变化，但自20世纪80年代中期以来，它们的构造材料基本上没有变化--S。如果成功，锂离子阳极中的表面工程硅纳米颗粒的商业化将导致容量增加30%至40%，同时每瓦特成本下降约20%。手机、平板电脑和笔记本电脑用户可以在充电间隔期间使用便携设备更长的时间。配备锂离子电池的电动汽车可以将续航里程增加40%，并提高与汽油动力汽车相比的成本竞争力。电化学材料与主要的特种化学品制造商、电池材料供应商和电池制造商有着密切的关系，并打算利用NSF的研发资金将其创新的容量增强负极材料商业化。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project proposes to develop and commercialize surface-engineered silicon anodes for use in lithium-ion batteries. Silicon has a ten fold greater charge capacity than graphite but its practical use as an anode material is hindered due to the mechanical problems associated with lithiation cycles (cracking, pulverization) and unwanted chemical reactions at silicon surfaces. Electrochemical Materials (EM) has developed wet surface functionalization methods enabling silicon nanoparticles to be reversibly cycled without mechanical failure or deleterious side reactions. In this work, EM will develop the surface chemistry and integration methods to create anodes for tablet-size (4000mA?h) lithium- ion batteries. EM will develop a scalable manufacturing process and demonstrate batteries with surface-engineered silicon nanoparticles. The new anodes will allow batteries to reach capacities 30 to 40% higher than conventional lithium-ion batteries for more than 1000 cycles.The broader impacts/commercial potential of this project is that higher capacity lithium-ion batteries will be quickly realized in portable electronics and electric vehicles. Lithium-ion batteries have revolutionized portable communications and electric vehicle power sources, yet their materials of construction have remained essentially unchanged since the mid 1980?s. If successful, the commercialization of surface-engineered silicon nanoparticles in lithium-ion anodes would result in 30 to 40% capacity gains along with an approximately 20% drop in cost per watt. Cell phones, tablets, and laptop users could use portable devices for longer periods between charging intervals. Electric vehicles with lithium- ion batteries could increase driving ranges by 40% and improve their cost competitiveness with gasoline-powered vehicles. Electrochemical Materials has strong relationships with major specialty chemical manufacturers, battery materials providers and battery manufacturers and intends to use NSF research and development funds to commercialize their innovative capacity-enhancing anode material.