I-Corps: A High Energy Anode-Free Lithium Metal Battery Enabled by Atomic and Molecular Layer Deposition

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发技术，以帮助深化交通电气化，并广泛实施可再生清洁能源，使我们的社会脱碳，实现可持续繁荣。该项目的成功将进一步加速技术转让，提高经济竞争力，并帮助美国保持在新能源领域的领先地位。全世界都迫切希望实现交通电气化。关键在于为电动汽车提供动力的强大的高能量可充电电池，预计将满足以下要求：行驶里程≥300英里的高能量密度，可负担的成本，可靠的安全性，无火灾和爆炸，以及长寿命。I-Corps项目的基础是开发高能无阳极锂金属电池，该电池由阳极集流体和锂化阴极组成。该电池的高性能基于该团队用于新型功能纳米涂层的创新原子和分子层沉积技术。这些纳米涂层被施加到阳极集流体和锂化阴极上，并导致显著改善的性能。锂离子电池在许多方面改变了我们的生活方式，但正在接近其能量极限。它们还遭受与成本、寿命和安全性相关的一些其他问题。因此，锂离子电池的所有这些缺点都激发了新的电池概念，而无阳极锂金属电池是最引人注目的电池之一。无阳极锂金属电池具有最大化电池能量密度、最小化电池成本和显著提高电池安全性的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF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。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of technologies to help deepen transportation electrification and widely implement renewable clean energies for decarbonizing our society to achieve sustainable prosperity. The success of this project will further accelerate technology transfer, increase economic competitiveness, and help the United States remain a leading position in new energies. There is an urgent desire worldwide on transportation electrification. The key lies in a robust high energy rechargeable battery to power electric vehicles, which is expected to satisfy the following requirements: a high energy density for a driving range of ≥300 miles, an affordable cost, reliable safety free of fires and explosions, and a long lifetime. The proposed technology has the potential to meet all these requirements and surpasses the current lithium-ion battery technologies.This I-Corps project is based on the development of high-energy anode-free lithium-metal batteries, which consists of an anode current collector and a lithiated cathode. The high performance of this battery is based on the innovative atomic and molecular layer deposition technology of the team for novel functional nanocoatings. These nanocoatings are applied onto the anode current collector and the lithiated cathode and result in remarkably improved performance. Lithium-ion batteries have changed our lifestyles in many aspects but are approaching their energy limit. They also suffer from some other issues related to cost, lifetime, and safety. Consequently, all these drawbacks of lithium-ion batteries have stimulated new battery concepts while anode-free lithium-metal batteries are among the most compelling ones. Anode-free lithium-metal batteries have the potential to maximize battery energy density, minimize battery cost, and remarkably improve battery safety.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.