Conjugated Polymer Binders for Lithium and Sodium-Ion Batteries

随着全球气温的上升，能源经济从化石燃料向可再生能源的过渡变得越来越紧迫。化石燃料很方便，因为它们可以很容易地运输，并在当地立即转化为所需的能量形式。另一方面，可再生能源在阳光普照或刮风时发电，而不考虑消费者的要求。此外，大功率的可再生能源很难移动的。便宜的可充电电池可以通过在可定义的小包装中存储能量来提供帮助，并根据消费者的需求存储和释放能量。通过这种方式，它们使可再生能源可用于移动的应用（例如电动汽车），并增加了现有电网中可实现的可再生能源部分。然而，目前，可充电电池仍然相当昂贵，这提高了可再生能源实施的价格。选择的技术，锂离子电池，通常是由包括锂，钴和镍的材料制成的，这些都是昂贵的金属。锂离子电池的制造也是一种昂贵的工艺，必须在完全干燥和清洁的气氛下进行，并且使用昂贵且对环境有害的有机溶剂。拟议的研究计划通过探索有助于充分利用储能活性材料的新材料，以电池成本、性能和可持续性为目标。在目前的资金期限内，我和我的团队将探索典型锂离子和钠离子电池中的电子导电粘合剂和良好的粘合剂。这些粘合剂用于将活性材料颗粒保持在一起，并将它们电连接到集电器。该研究将设计和研究电子导电粘合剂，探索其在锂离子和钠离子电池中的应用，并阐明电子导电粘合剂改善电池性能的微观机制。在这样做的过程中，该计划将支持3个硕士和2个博士生的培训。其结果将在几个方面影响电池的成本、性能和可持续性。首先，这些粘合剂被设计为可水处理的。通过避免使用昂贵、有毒的有机溶剂，这降低了加工成本和对环境的影响。其次，它们将通过适应电荷存储材料的更大体积变化来使大容量材料可访问。这增加了电池的电荷存储容量。最后，所提出的粘合剂可以帮助实现更便宜的钠离子电池技术。在目前的资金周期之外，这些知识将应用于替代电池化学物质，这些化学物质有可能大大提高电池性能，但目前循环寿命较低。

With the rise of global temperatures, the transition of the energy economy from a fossil fuels basis to renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Fossil fuels are convenient, because they can be easily transported, and converted to the required form of energy locally and immediately. Renewable energy sources, on the other hand, produce electricity when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, without regard for consumer requirements. Moreover, high-power renewable energy is hardly mobile. Cheap rechargeable batteries can help by storing energy in definable small packages, and store and release energy as required by the consumer. In this way, they make renewable energy accessible for mobile applications (e.g. electric cars) and increase the implementable renewable energy portion in existing electric grids. However, at the moment, rechargeable batteries are still quite expensive, which raises the price of renewable energy implementation. The technology of choice, Li-ion batteries, are commonly fabricated with materials that include Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel, which are expensive metals. Li-ion battery fabrication is further a costly process that has to be performed under completely dry and clean atmosphere and it uses expensive and environmentally hazardous organic solvents. The proposed research program targets battery cost, performance and sustainability by exploring new materials that can aid the full utilization of energy-storing active materials. Within the current funding period, my team and I will explore binders that are electronically conducting and good adhesives in typical Li- and Na-ion batteries. These binders serve to hold active material particles together, and connect them electronically to the current collector. The proposed research will design and investigate electronically conducting binders, explore their application in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries, and illustrate the microscopic mechanisms by which electronically conducting binders improve the performance of batteries. In doing so, the program will support the training of 3 MSc and 2 PhD students. The outcome will impact battery cost, performance and sustainability in several ways. Firstly, these binders are designed to be water processable. By overcoming the use of costly, toxic organic solvents, this reduces processing costs and environmental impact. Secondly, they will make large capacity materials accessible by accommodating larger volume changes of the charge-storing material. This increases charge storage capacity of the battery. Finally, the proposed binders can help the realization of the much cheaper Na-ion battery technology. Beyond the current funding cycle, this knowledge will be applied to alternative battery chemistries that have the potential to hugely improve battery performance, but currently suffer from low cycle life.