STTR Phase I: Carbon-encapsulated sulfur cathodes for next generation batteries

STTR 第一阶段：用于下一代电池的碳封装硫阴极

• 批准号: 2112004
• 负责人: Kurt Stahlfeld
• 金额: $ 25.56万
• 依托单位: EVOSEER LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-03-01 至 2024-02-29
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2112004&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Carbon; encapsulated; sulfur

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to enable next-generation lithium battery technologies that are integral in transitioning toward increased renewable energy deployment. In particular, the project has the potential to overcome obstacles to widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption including battery capacity limitations, high battery cost, and supply chain issues. EVs currently account for a significant majority of the lithium battery market and this market share will likely increase dramatically as deployment of EVs increases in coming years. The aforementioned issues with lithium battery technologies must be addressed for EVs to reach their envisioned potential. This STTR project seeks to advance a novel process for the production of a critical battery component – the battery cathode. This STTR Phase I project proposes to advance lithium sulfide (Li-S) battery viability using a novel approach to cathode production. Lithium sulfide batteries can provide more than double the gravimetric energy density of current lithium batteries, but Li-S batteries suffer from a short cycle life due to the poor retention of polysulfide species which are formed at the cathode during cycling. If these polysulfide species are able to diffuse away from the cathode, they participate in several detrimental reactions and interactions with both the electrolyte and anode, and the battery is damaged. This project seeks to retain the sulfur and polysulfides within the cathode using encapsulation within a carbon scaffold. Specific research will include assessments of the maximum sulfur loading that can be achieved in the carbon scaffold, the extent to which the carbon scaffold can be rendered electrically conductive, construction of cathodes from the sulfur-loaded carbon scaffold, and tests of the performance of batteries constructed from these cathodes. In addition, a technoeconomic analysis of the cathode technology will be performed to assess its potential in the context of current lithium battery technology. Expected outcomes include demonstrated technical and economic viability of the cathode technology.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.

这一小型企业技术转移（STTR）I期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是使下一代锂电池技术在过渡到增加可再生能源部署方面不可或缺。特别是，该项目有可能克服宽度电动汽车（EV）采用（包括电池容量限制，高电池成本和供应链问题）的障碍。 EVS目前占锂电池市场的大部分，随着未来几年的电动汽车部署的增加，该市场份额可能会大大增加。必须解决与锂电池技术有关的理性问题，以使电动汽车发挥其设想的潜力。这个STTR项目旨在推进生产关键电池组件的新过程 - 电池阴极。这项IT阶段I项目的建议提案，以使用新型的阴极生产方法来促进硫化锂（LI-S）电池生存能力。硫化锂电池可以提供当前锂电池的重量能量密度的两倍以上，但是由于多硫化物物种的保留较差，在循环过程中形成的多硫化物物种的保留率较差，因此Li-S电池的循环寿命短。如果这些多硫化物物种能够从阴极中扩散，它们会参与几种有害的反应以及与电解质和阳极的相互作用，并且电池受损。该项目旨在使用碳支架内的封装在阴极内保留硫和多硫化物。具体的研究将包括评估在碳支架中可以实现的最大硫负荷，可以使碳支架具有导电性的碳支架的程度，从硫载的碳支架中构造阴极以及这些托管中构建的电池性能的测试。此外，将对阴极技术进行技术经济分析，以评估其在当前锂电池技术的背景下的潜力。预期的结果包括证明的阴极技术的技术和经济可行性。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并通过使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准来评估被认为是宝贵的支持。