Materials Design and Mechanism Understanding of Electrodes for Next-Generation Batteries

随着全球越来越多地采用清洁能源，开发可持续的能量存储系统已经成为一项重大挑战，以便将电动汽车上路，并将间歇性可再生能源资源整合到电网中。虽然锂离子电池在市场上占据主导地位，但它们在未来大规模应用的能量密度和成本方面存在很大的局限性。因此，必须开发具有更高能量密度和更低成本的替代电池系统。该研究计划的长期目标是为下一代电池技术识别和开发新的介/纳米尺度材料，并对能源材料的合成-结构-性能关系及其潜在机制进行基本理解。在短期内，该研究计划将设计新的材料和概念，以解决锂硫电池和钠离子电池的关键挑战，并使这些电池技术更接近实际应用。 锂硫电池被认为是一种很有前途的电动汽车技术，因为它们的理论能量密度比最先进的锂离子电池高五倍，而且硫的成本极低。然而，由于被称为多硫化物穿梭效应的不利现象，目前的Li-S电池遭受低效率和有限的循环寿命。本研究旨在开发一种三元混合正极材料，该材料可以防止多硫化物的形成，并显着提高锂硫电池的性能。钠离子蓄电池是一种潜在的固定式电能储存系统，这是由于钠源的丰富性和低成本以及高的理论能量密度。Na离子电池的发展受到能够实现可逆Na离子存储的电极材料的有限选择的阻碍。这项研究将开发一组新的磷基合金和电极/电解质界面控制策略，为钠离子电池提供高容量电极材料。 该研究计划不仅将开发新材料设计策略，以实现下一代电池技术，还将为材料科学，界面科学和电化学的新知识的进步做出贡献。拟议研究的成功将加速可持续能源储存技术的快速部署，并解决化石燃料造成的能源危机和环境后果。该研究计划对加拿大的能源和环境部门非常重要，因为加拿大致力于发展可再生能源和减少温室气体排放。这将保持加拿大在可再生能源研究和商业化方面在全球的领先地位，并提高公众对可再生能源的认识和教育。

With increasing global efforts to adopting clean energy, developing sustainable energy storage systems has become a major challenge in order to bring electric vehicles on the road, and to integrate intermittent renewable energy resources into the grid. Although Li-ion batteries are dominant in the market, they have great limitations in the energy density and cost for future large-scale applications. Therefore, it is essential to develop alternative battery systems with higher energy density and lower cost. Long-term objectives of this research program are to identify and develop new meso/nano-scale materials for next-generation battery technologies, and to develop fundamental understandings on synthesis-structure-performance relationship in energy materials and their underlying mechanisms. In a short term, this research program will design novel materials and concepts to address the critical challenges in Li-S batteries and Na-ion batteries, and bring these battery technologies closer to practical applications. Li-S batteries are considered a promising technology for electric vehicles, due to their theoretical energy density five times higher than state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries and extremely low cost of sulfur. However, current Li-S batteries suffer from low efficiency and limited cycle life, due to an unfavorable phenomenon called polysulfide shuttle effect. This research proposes to develop a ternary hybrid cathode material which can prevent the formation of polysulfide and dramatically improve the performance of Li-S batteries. Na-ion batteries are a potential electrical energy storage system for stationary applications, owing to the large abundance and low cost of Na sources as well as high theoretical energy density. The development of Na-ion batteries is hindered by the limited choice of electrode materials that an enable reversible Na ion storage. This research will develop a new group of phosphorus-based alloys and an electrode/electrolyte interface control strategy to deliver high-capacity electrode materials for Na-ion batteries. This research program will not only develop new materials design strategies to enable next-generation battery technologies, but also contribute to the advancement of new knowledge in materials science, interface science, and electrochemistry. The success of the proposed research would accelerate the rapid deployment of sustainable energy storage technologies and address the energy crisis and environmental consequences as a result of fossil fuels. This research program is of great importance to Canada's energy and environmental sectors, as Canada is committed to the development of renewable energy and reduction of greenhouse gas emission. This will keep Canada's leading position in renewable energy research and commercialization in the worldwide, and increase public awareness and education of renewable energy.