STTR Phase I: Novel Batteries Based on Functionalized Hexagonal Boron Nitride with High Energy, High Power, Long Cycle Life, and Thermal Stability

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is the development of lightweight, thermally safe batteries with high energy densities that can be charged fast, last a long time, are composed of environmentally benign materials, and can store energy at a low cost. Such batteries would enable the large-scale penetration of long-range electric cars and other electric vehicles, including airplanes and drones in transportation. This process reduces environmental pollution and leads to greater energy efficiency.This STTR Phase I project proposes to use boron nitride based layered ceramic materials as a means of storing electrochemical energy in solid state batteries. This project enhances scientific and technological understanding on the design of advanced functional materials for energy storage at the atomic level. To achieve the targeted high performance energy storage at the macroscopic level, the underlying material structures must be carefully selected on the atomic and molecular levels. Two-dimensional materials, such as graphene or hexagonal boron nitride, may contain functional groups that can be reversibly reduced and oxidized and can be utilized as electroactive species in cathodes of rechargeable batteries. The great advantage of these materials is that they can realize simultaneously high energy and power density for thousands of charging/discharging cycles as demonstrated in graphene oxide batteries with lithium and sodium anodes. Graphene oxide is, however, thermally unstable. The project proposes to substitute graphene oxide with functionalized boron nitride in order to achieve thermal stability while preserving performance. Furthermore, the functionalized boron nitride is also capable to play the role of a solid electrolyte in addition to being an electroactive species. Particular focus will be made on synthesizing -OBF3 functionalized boron nitride. This functional group occurs as a Lewis adduct of surface oxides (such as graphene oxide or boron nitride oxide) with BF3 (an electrolyte component) and is particularly promising as a compact electroactive species and electrolyte.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.