SBIR Phase I: Hollow Carbon Nanospheres as a Novel Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将展示一种使用新型空心碳纳米球的锂离子电池阳极材料的改进。锂离子电池由于其高能量密度、轻重量和大电流放电能力，目前是许多便携式设备（如笔记本电脑和手机）的首选可充电储能形式。该项目旨在为这些电池开发新材料，以提高能量储存和寿命，同时降低生产成本。所提出的材料是中空碳纳米球，它是高度结构化的石墨球，直径约为40纳米。用于生产纳米球的生产过程与其他纳米材料的独特之处在于，原料是可再生的或可回收的，从而降低了成本并减轻了废物造成的环境影响。该项目将证明在纳米尺度上改进阳极的材料结构将提高锂离子电池的整体性能。这证明了纳米技术在微观层面上通过合理操纵材料特性来改善产品的前景。第一阶段SBIR项目将涉及产业界和学术界之间的合作，为研究生研究人员和本科生实习生提供尖端科学和工程方面的教育经验。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate an improved anode material for lithium-ion batteries using novel hollow carbon nanospheres. Li-ion batteries are currently the preferred form of rechargeable energy storage for many portable devices such as laptop computers and cell phones because of their high energy density, low weight, and high current discharge capabilities. This project seeks to develop new materials for these batteries that will improve the energy storage and lifetime while reducing the production cost. The proposed material is hollow carbon nanospheres which are highly structured graphitic spheres with approximately 40 nm diameters. The production process used to produce the nanospheres is unique from other nanomaterials in that the feedstocks are renewable or recyclable, reducing costs and mitigating the environmental impact caused by waste products. This project will demonstrate that improving the material structure of the anode on the nanoscale will improve the overall performance of the Li-ion battery. This is a demonstration of the promise of nanotechnology to improve products through the rational manipulation of material properties at the microscopic level. This Phase I SBIR project will involve collaboration between industry and academia, providing educational experiences in cutting edge science and engineering for both graduate researchers and undergraduate interns.