SBIR Phase II: High Energy Density Lithium-ion Battery Cells With Graphenic Anodes

该奖项全部或部分由《2021年美国救援计划法案》（公法117-2）资助。这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发和采用下一代便携式储能设备。锂离子电池是广泛应用的最常见的储能技术。最近，它们已被中小型无人机系统（UAS）和电动汽车（EV）所采用。这些无人机和电动汽车的重量承载能力、飞行/操作时间和范围主要取决于电池组件和材料。随着锂离子电池技术的发展，高容量、轻量化和先进的电池可以在不增加重量的情况下储存更多的能量。下一代电池技术的发展和整合可能会显著提高电池动力汽车的性能和社会对它们的采用。这项技术有可能在UAS/无人机行业产生巨大的商业影响；例如，有了成功的电池，药物、血液和器官可以通过无人驾驶平台快速运送到偏远地区。公用事业工作人员可以在事故发生之前识别管道泄漏或输电线路损坏，包裹可以更快地交付，显著减少碳足迹，以及无数其他应用。SBIR二期项目旨在开发具有新型碳基负极组件的高容量、轻质锂离子电池（LIB）。现有的锂离子电池仍然使用石墨和添加剂作为主要的阳极材料，因为它们能够恢复电荷并提供一致的电压。然而，石墨的有限容量（理论上为372毫安时/克）阻碍了持久、高能量密度（超过340 Wh/kg）锂离子电池的发展。石墨的内部结构限制了锂向层间空间的充分扩散。该项目提供了一种新型的高能量密度（超过500 Wh/kg）的锂电池，具有创新的多层石墨阳极。用多层石墨阳极代替石墨，为克服碳阳极容量有限的问题提供了一种解决方案。这种正在申请专利的、商业上可行的碳基阳极具有在其网络中嵌入强烈锂（Li）的独特能力。大的锂/电解质界面有助于增强电荷转移动力学，从而实现有效的充电/放电循环，在数百次循环中具有超过1500 mAh/g的比容量。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development and adoption of next generation portable energy storage devices. Lithium-ion batteries are the most common energy storage technology for a wide variety of applications. Most recently, they have been adopted by small to medium sized Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and electric vehicles (EV). The weight carrying capacity and flight/operating time and range of these UAS and EV are issues mainly dependent on battery components and materials. With the proposed lithium-ion battery technology, high-capacity, lightweight, and advanced batteries may store significantly more energy without increasing their weight. The development and integration of the next generation battery technology may significantly increase the performance of battery powered vehicles and their adoption by society. This technology has the potential to have a drastic commercial impact in the UAS/drone industry; For example, with successful batteries, medicine, blood, and organs can be quickly delivered to remote locations on unmanned platforms. Utility workers may be able to identify pipeline leaks or transmission line damages in advance of an accident and packages may be delivered faster, with significantly less carbon footprint, along with myriad of other applications.This SBIR Phase II project seeks to develop high capacity, lightweight lithium-ion battery (LIB) cells with a novel carbon-based anode component. Existing LIBs still utilize graphite with additives as the primary anode material due to their ability to restore the charge and provide consistency in voltage. However, graphite's limited capacity (theoretically, 372 mAh/g) prohibits the development of long lasting, higher energy density (over 340 Wh/kg) LIBs. Graphite's internal structure limits sufficient lithium diffusion into interlayer spaces. This project offers a new class of higher energy density (over 500 Wh/kg) LIBs, with an innovative multilayer graphenic anode. Replacing graphite with the multilayer graphenic anode offers a solution in overcoming the issue of the limited capacity of the carbon anode. This patent-pending, commercially feasible, only carbon-based anode has the unique capability of an intense lithium (Li) intercalation within its networks. The large Li/electrolyte interface contributes enhanced charge-transfer kinetics, resulting in effective charge/discharge cycling throughout hundreds of cycles with over 1500 mAh/g specific capacity.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.