STTR Phase II: Multi-functional, Scalable Graphene-Based Protective Coatings for High Energy Density Lithium-Ion Cathodes

这一小型企业技术转让(STTR)第二阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是提高下一代锂离子电池的安全性，这些电池用于许多应用，如电子产品、电动汽车和其他专业应用。预计未来十年锂离子正极材料市场的年增长率将超过10%，预计到2030年将超过300亿美元，创造出巨大的商业潜力。该项目将开发一种涂层，以提高锂离子电池的耐用性、容量和低温性能；它将以模块化和灵活的方式进行工业化部署。该项目第二阶段计划开发和验证基于石墨烯的涂层技术的工业制造原型，用于新兴高性能阴极材料的快速商业化。由此产生的创新将展示石墨烯功能化的商业可行性，以解决下一代富镍高能量密度阴极面临的关键技术问题，如化学不稳定、狭窄的操作条件和高电池阻抗增长。这项技术通过将纳米技术与传统的锂离子电池系统相结合，提供了一种全面的解决方案，可以精确地瞄准这些痛点。拟议研究活动的总体目标包括：(1)开发完全连续流动的基于石墨烯的涂层前体生产；(2)为富镍阴极微粒实施中试规模的基于卷对卷的石墨烯涂层工艺；(3)开发和验证替代涂层路径以进行早期验证；以及(4)为提高循环寿命、化学稳定性以及速率和温度性能进行商业验证的储袋电池原型工作。该项目将推进无缝集成到现有电池生产线的技术。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，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II project is to enable improved safety for next generation lithium-ion batteries, used in many applications, such as electronics, electric vehicles, and other specialty applications. With a projected growth over 10% annually over the next decade, the lithium-ion cathode material market is expected to exceed $30 B by 2030, creating a significant commercial potential. This project will develop a coating to improve the durability, capacity, and low-temperature performance of lithium-ion batteries; it will be deployed industrially in a modular and flexible fashion. This STTR Phase II project proposes to develop and validate an industrial manufacturing prototype of a graphene-based coating technology for rapid commercialization of emerging high-performance cathode materials. The resulting innovation will demonstrate the commercial viability of the graphene functionalization to address key technical issues facing the next-generation Ni-rich high energy density cathodes such as chemical instability, narrow operating conditions, and high cell impedance growth. This technology provides a comprehensive solution to precisely target these pain points through integration of nanotechnology with traditional lithium-ion battery systems. The overarching goals of the proposed research activities include (1) development of fully continuous-flow graphene-based coating precursor production; (2) implementation of pilot-scale roll-to-roll graphene-based coating process for Ni-rich cathode microparticles; (3) development and validation of alternate coating pathways for early validation, and (4) pouch cell prototyping efforts for commercial validation of increases in cycle life, chemical stability, and rate and temperature performance. This project will advance the technology for seamless integration into existing battery manufacturing lines.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.