STTR Phase I: Nanoparticulate metal oxide electrodes for fast charging lithium ion batteries

该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发和商业化一种快速充电电池，与目前的锂离子电池相比，它提供了更好的安全性和更长的循环寿命。在传统电池中，快速充电会导致电池变得非常热（超过60°C/140°F），并将电池的寿命缩短到一次或两次充电。所提出的电池利用新型电极材料，可以快速充电，而不产生或很少产生热量。安全、快速充电的电池对于各种应用具有很强的经济效益。一般来说，对于移动应用程序（汽车，摩托车等），快速充电电池通过消除接受的主要障碍-长充电时间来实现这些设备的电气化。对于自动化机器人、电动工具和小型电动汽车来说，使用新一代电池有望将电池寿命延长至少3倍，从而降低拥有成本。这个STTR一期项目旨在开发使用介孔电极材料的超快充电电池。这些材料被制成海绵状电极，其孔隙比人类头发小许多倍。这些海绵状电极允许能量储存材料和能量传输液体（电解质）之间非常紧密地接触，减少离子传输距离。该项目将进一步将这种材料开发成商用快速充电电池，实现以下目标：1)充电时间不到10分钟；2)快速充电时发热最小；3)循环寿命是传统锂离子电池的三倍。额外的努力将放在工艺开发上，以有效地扩大材料生产成本。在更好的电池水平上进行详细的性能研究将有助于理解介孔对氧化物纳米结构材料的快速充电和产热的影响。这些结果将有助于未来在实用和快速充电锂离子电池中开发高倍率氧化物材料，提高安全性并最小化热管理要求。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop and commercialize a fast charging battery which offers better safety with long cycle life compared to today’s lithium (Li)-ion batteries. In traditional batteries, fast charging can cause the battery to become dangerously hot (more than 60°C/140°F) and reduce the life of the battery to one or two charges. The proposed batteries utilize novel electrode materials that can be charged rapidly while generating no/little heat. Safe, fast-charging batteries have strong economic benefits for a variety of applications. Generally speaking, for mobile applications (cars, scooters, etc.), fast-charging batteries allows electrification of these devices by removing the main obstacle to acceptance - long charge times. For automated robots, power tools, and small electric vehicles, using the new generation batteries is expected to reduce the cost of ownership by increasing the battery life by at least a factor of 3. This STTR Phase I project seeks to develop ultrafast charging batteries using mesoporous electrode materials. The materials are made into a sponge-like electrodes with the pores many times smaller than a human hair. These sponge-like electrodes allow very close contact between the energy storage material and energy transport liquid, the electrolyte, decreasing ion transport distance. The project will further develop the material into commercial fast charge batteries that allow: 1) charging in less than 10 minutes, 2) minimal heating upon fast charging, and 3) three times the cycle life compared to traditional Li-ion batteries. Additional effort will be put on process development to scale the materials production cost effectively. Detailed performance studies at the better cell level will aid in understanding the effect of mesoporosity on fast-charging and heat generation using oxide nanostructured materials. These results will aid in the future development of high rate oxide materials in practical and fast charge Li-ion batteries with improved safety characteristics and minimized heat management requirements.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.