Smart graphene-based composites for high-energy and self-healing lithium-ion batteries

锂基可充电电池技术已成为满足电动汽车需求的研究热点。最常用的锂离子电池分别利用石墨和过渡金属氧化物作为阳极和阴极材料。由于电极材料的低比容量，这种电池只能提供~150 Wh kg-1的能量密度。为了满足现代电动汽车对高能量和功率密度以及循环耐久性的要求，需要新一代活性材料。拟议中的项目将专门解决提高锂离子电池性能的关键技术障碍，包括能量密度、循环稳定性和安全性以及功率密度，同时通过设计和开发用于汽车应用的智能石墨烯基纳米结构复合材料，战略性地降低商业生产成本。这种新型石墨烯基复合材料可以克服当前锂离子电池在能量密度、循环寿命、安全性和成本等方面存在的挑战。这项工作需要一种独特的方法来开发基于硅纳米颗粒的高多孔石墨烯材料，以创建独特的3D结构。另一种方法是从自修复功能化智能电极制造中开发实用电池，以实现锂离子电池的安全运行。从研究的发展来看，利用高质量的改性石墨烯和硅/石墨烯复合纳米材料将有效克服目前商用电极的挑战，这将在提高锂离子电池的能量密度、循环稳定性、安全性和功率性能方面发挥关键作用。可以预见，高性能lib的成功将通过提高能源效率，并与包括太阳能和风能在内的交通和绿色能源系统相结合，减少有毒气体和温室气体的排放，这将为所有加拿大人提供显著的社会和环境效益。HQP在该研究项目中开发的专业知识和培训将有助于扩大加拿大的工业和商业活动和企业，并保持加拿大在lib技术和新兴石墨烯生产市场的领先地位。

Lithium based rechargeable battery technologies have become the focal point of research to fulfill the requirements of electric vehicles (EVs). The most commonly used LIBs utilize graphite and transition metal oxides as anode and cathode materials, respectively. Such a battery can only provide an energy density of ~150 Wh kg-1 due to the low specific capacities of the electrode materials. To meet the requirements of both high energy and power density with cycle durability of modern EVs, the next generation of active material is necessary. The proposed project will specifically address critical technical barriers to the improved performance including energy density, cycling stability and safety as well as power density of lithium ion batteries, while strategically lowering the cost of commercial production by designing and developing smart graphene-based nanostructured composites for automotive applications. The novel graphene-based composite materials can overcome the existing challenges of energy density, cycling life, and safety as well as cost of current lithium-ion batteries. This work entails a unique approach in the development of highly porous graphene materials based Si nanoparticles to create a unique 3D architecture. Another approach is development of practical battery from self-healing functionalized smart electrode fabrication for safe operation of LIBs. From the development of proposed research, it is expected that utilizing high quality modified graphene and silicon/graphene composite nanomaterials will efficiently overcome the current challenges of commercial electrodes, which will play the key role in improving the energy density, cycling stability, safety and power performance of LIBs. It can be predicted that the success of the proposed high-performance LIBs will reduce both toxic and greenhouse gas emissions by improving energy efficiency and integrating with transportation and green energy systems including solar and wind energy, and this will provide significant social and environmental benefits to all Canadians. The expertise developed and the training of HQP in this research project will contribute to expanding industrial and business activities and enterprises in Canada and maintain Canada's lead in LIBs technology as well as the emerging graphene production market.