SBIR Phase II: High Energy Density Lithium-ion Battery Cells With Graphenic Anodes

该奖项的全部或部分资金来自《2021年美国救援计划法案》(公法117-2)。该小型企业创新研究(SBIR)项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发和采用下一代便携式储能设备。锂离子电池是最常见的储能技术，适用于各种应用。最近，它们已被中小型无人机系统(UAS)和电动汽车(EV)采用。这些无人机和电动汽车的载重能力、飞行/运行时间和航程主要取决于电池组件和材料。有了拟议的锂离子电池技术，高容量、轻量化和先进的电池可能会在不增加重量的情况下储存更多的能量。下一代电池技术的开发和集成可能会显著提高电池动力汽车的性能，并被社会采用。这项技术有可能在无人机/无人机行业产生巨大的商业影响；例如，通过成功的电池，药物、血液和器官可以通过无人驾驶平台快速运送到偏远地区。公用事业工人可能能够在事故发生前识别管道泄漏或传输线损坏，包裹交付可能更快，碳足迹显著减少，以及无数其他应用。该SBIR第二阶段项目旨在开发具有新型碳基负极组件的高容量、轻型锂离子电池(LIB)电池。现有的LIBS仍然使用添加了添加剂的石墨作为主要的阳极材料，因为它们能够恢复电荷并提供稳定的电压。然而，石墨的有限容量(理论上为372mAhg)阻碍了长寿命、更高能量密度(超过340Wh/kg)的LIBS的发展。石墨的内部结构限制了锂向层间空间的充分扩散。该项目提供了一种新的更高能量密度(超过500瓦时/公斤)的LIBS，具有创新的多层石墨化阳极。用多层石墨阳极替代石墨为克服碳阳极容量有限的问题提供了一种解决方案。这种正在申请专利的、商业上可行的、唯一的碳基阳极具有在其网络中强烈嵌入锂(Li)的独特能力。大的锂/电解液界面有助于增强电荷转移动力学，从而在数百个循环中实现有效的充放电循环，比容量超过1500 mAh/g。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development and adoption of next generation portable energy storage devices. Lithium-ion batteries are the most common energy storage technology for a wide variety of applications. Most recently, they have been adopted by small to medium sized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and electric vehicles (EV). The weight carrying capacity and flight/operating time and range of these UAS and EV are issues mainly dependent on battery components and materials. With the proposed lithium-ion battery technology, high-capacity, lightweight, and advanced batteries may store significantly more energy without increasing their weight. The development and integration of the next generation battery technology may significantly increase the performance of battery powered vehicles and their adoption by society. This technology has the potential to have a drastic commercial impact in the UAS/drone industry; For example, with successful batteries, medicine, blood, and organs can be quickly delivered to remote locations on unmanned platforms. Utility workers may be able to identify pipeline leaks or transmission line damages in advance of an accident and packages may be delivered faster, with significantly less carbon footprint, along with myriad of other applications.This SBIR Phase II project seeks to develop high capacity, lightweight lithium-ion battery (LIB) cells with a novel carbon-based anode component. Existing LIBs still utilize graphite with additives as the primary anode material due to their ability to restore the charge and provide consistency in voltage. However, graphite's limited capacity (theoretically, 372 mAh/g) prohibits the development of long lasting, higher energy density (over 340 Wh/kg) LIBs. Graphite's internal structure limits sufficient lithium diffusion into interlayer spaces. This project offers a new class of higher energy density (over 500 Wh/kg) LIBs, with an innovative multilayer graphenic anode. Replacing graphite with the multilayer graphenic anode offers a solution in overcoming the issue of the limited capacity of the carbon anode. This patent-pending, commercially feasible, only carbon-based anode has the unique capability of an intense lithium (Li) intercalation within its networks. The large Li/electrolyte interface contributes enhanced charge-transfer kinetics, resulting in effective charge/discharge cycling throughout hundreds of cycles with over 1500 mAh/g specific capacity.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.