GOALI: Lithium Alloy-Carbon Composite Nanofibers for Energy Storage by Electrospinning and Carbonization

该奖学金的目标是应用静电纺丝和碳化技术，将不同的材料（锂合金和碳）整合到一种新型复合纳米纤维中，用于锂离子电池。所得到的纳米纤维材料结合了锂合金（高存储容量）和碳（长循环寿命）的优点，因为碳基体可以容纳被封装的锂合金纳米颗粒在锂插入/提取过程中的体积变化。复合纳米纤维可以被电纺成非织造布，直接用作锂离子阳极，从而消除了目前使用的非活性材料，从而提高了能量和功率密度。关于加工-结构-性能关系的基本知识将指导受控纳米/微结构和成分的设计，以实现各种应用的增强材料性能。预期的结果将产生重要的科学和经济影响。建立了无机-有机复合纳米纤维静电纺丝和碳化的指导方针。不同材料（锂合金和碳）的多功能集成将实现。此外，这项研究的广泛影响包括研究生和本科生的参与，将最先进的研究成果纳入现有课程，并与K-12计划合作，以增加新技术在公共教育中的使用和影响。

The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award is to apply electrospinning and carbonization technologies to integrate dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) into a novel type of composite nanofiber for use in lithium-ion batteries. The resultant nanofiber materials combine the advantageous properties of lithium alloy (high-storage capacity) and carbon (long-cycle life) in that the carbon matrix accommodates the volume change of the encapsulated lithium alloy nanoparticles during lithium insertion/extraction. The composite nanofibers may be electrospun into nonwoven fabrics that can be directly used as lithium-ion anodes and thereby eliminate the present use of non-active materials resulting in improved energy and power densities. Fundamental knowledge generated about the processing-structure-performance relationships will guide the design of controlled nano/microstructures and composition to achieve enhanced materials properties for various applications. The anticipated results will have important scientific and economic impact. Guidelines for both electrospinning and carbonization of inorganic-organic composite nanofibers will be established. Integration of dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) with multifunctionalities will be realized. Furthermore, the broader impact of this research includes the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, incorporation of the state-of-the-art research results into existing courses, and partnerships with K-12 programs to increase the use and impact of new technologies in public education.