Research Initiation Award: Investigating the Structure-Property Relationships of Solid Polymer Electrolytes for Lithium Ion Batteries

研究启动奖为历史上黑人学院和大学的初级和中级职业教师提供支持，他们正在建立新的研究项目或重新定向和重建现有项目。预计该奖项将有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和效率，改善家庭机构的研究和教学，并使本科生参与研究经验。授予路易斯安那州泽维尔大学的奖项旨在合成和表征锂离子电池中的固体聚合物电解质（SPE）鳞紫罗烯作为替代能源。此外，该项目还将为聚合物科学领域的各种本科生提供研究培训。固体聚合物电解质（SPE）膜具有通过消除由于溶剂基电解质制剂中锂枝晶形成而导致的灾难性电池故障的可能性来改善锂离子电池的安全性的潜力。由于SPE同时充当电极隔膜和锂离子传输介质，因此它们具有增强锂离子传输的潜力，从而延长锂离子电化学电池的寿命。这项拟议研究的总体目标是开发基于鳞离子烯的锂离子电池的新型锂离子SPE。PI计划首次在锂离子电池中使用鳞离子烯，并直接研究局部链段运动对锂离子通过SPE传输的影响。这将通过合成和表征具有可变电荷密度分布和链柔性的鳞紫罗烯和分段鳞紫罗烯的库来实现。这些成果将有助于该领域的整体知识水平，为理解全固态电池中锂离子传输的电荷密度和聚合物链段运动的作用提供必要的数据。此外，这项工作的重要教育影响包括参与历史上在聚合物化学领域代表性不足的本科生。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improves research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Xavier University of Louisiana seeks to synthesize and characterize solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) phosphonium ionene in lithium-ion batteries as an alternative source of energy. Additionally, the project will provide research training to a diverse population of undergraduate students in the field of polymer science. Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) membranes have the potential to improve the safety of lithium ion batteries by eliminating the potential for catastrophic battery failure due to lithium dendrite formation in solvent-based electrolyte formulations. Because they act as both the electrode separator and the lithium ion transport medium, SPEs have the potential to enhance lithium ion transport leading to extended lifetimes of lithium ion electrochemical cells. The overarching goal of this proposed research is to develop new polyelectrolyte SPEs for lithium ion batteries that are based on phosphonium ionenes. The PI intends to employ phosphonium ionenes in lithium ion batteries for the first time and directly study the impact of localized segmental motion on lithium ion transport through SPEs. This will be achieved by synthesizing and characterizing a library of phosphonium ionenes and segmented phosphonium ionenes with variable charge density distribution and chain flexibility. The outcomes will contribute to the overall state-of-knowledge in the field by providing essential data towards understanding the role of polyelectrolyte charge density and polymer chain segmental motion on lithium ion transport in all-solid-state batteries. Further, an essential educational impact of this work includes engaging undergraduate students who are historically underrepresented in the field of polymer chemistry.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.