Solid State Chemistry for Advanced Lithium Batteries and Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

电化学能量转换和存储装置，例如燃料电池和蓄电池，代表了用于广泛应用的清洁替代能源，包括便携式电子设备、运输、峰值功率需求和电网规模。燃料电池（FC）直接将燃料（例如，H2、天然气、煤或沼气）和空气转化为电能。与内燃机不同，以H2为燃料的燃料电池不会排放污染物或温室气体，同时有效地产生电力，热量和水。虽然碳氢化合物燃料电池，如固体氧化物燃料电池（SOFC），产生二氧化碳，这种副产品可以使用二氧化碳捕获和储存技术储存。一些公共汽车、货船和演示汽车使用质子交换膜燃料电池（PEMFC），其利用H2。然而，目前的SOFC和PEMFC太昂贵而不能广泛使用。电池类似于FC，但不是燃料，它们基于电化学电池内的化学物质运行，并且在二次电池的情况下被再充电。最先进的锂离子电池的能量密度、功率密度和安全性需要进一步改进，以满足未来电动汽车和便携式设备的需求。NSERC DG提案旨在解决最先进的FC和锂离子电池中的关键问题。对于锂离子电池，该项目旨在用不易燃的陶瓷基固态电解质取代易燃的有机锂离子电解质。这些基于陶瓷的电解质具有高离子电导率以及电化学和化学稳定性，具有元素Li阳极和Li基金属氧化物和硫阴极。燃料电池面临的挑战将通过开发低温质子导体SOFC来解决，以提高使用先进金属氧化物催化剂作为电极的耐久性和性能。固体电解质作为燃料电池和电池中阳极和阴极之间的隔膜，并控制其操作条件，性能和耐久性。当前提案的主要目标是通过研究每种材料的晶体结构、离子电导率和电化学稳定性以及这些性质之间的关系，开发基于无机化合物的高导电性固态质子和锂离子电解质。高导电性和稳定的固体电解质是长期稳定的SOFC和固态锂电池商业化的关键。先进的全固态锂电池安全、坚固，并提供高能量密度。在未来5年内，该研究计划将培训约50名高素质人员（HQP），为他们提供固态材料研究及其在可持续能源开发中的应用的实践经验，这将进一步积极影响加拿大及其他地区人民的生活质量。

Electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices, such as fuel cells and batteries, represent a clean alternative energy source for a broad range of applications, including portable electronics, transportation, peak-power demand, and grid-scale. A fuel cell (FC) directly converts reaction between a fuel (e.g., H2, natural gas, coal, or biogas) and air into electricity with high efficiency. Unlike combustion engines, a FC running on H2 will not emit pollutants or greenhouse gases while efficiently producing electricity, heat, and water. Though hydrocarbon-powered fuel cells, such as solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), produce CO2, this by-product can be stored using CO2 capture and storage technology. Some public buses, cargo ships, and demo cars use proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which utilize H2. However, current SOFCs and PEMFCs are too expensive to be widely employed. Batteries are similar to FCs, but instead of fuels, they operate based on the chemicals within the electrochemical cell, and being re-charged in the case of secondary batteries. The energy density, power density, and safety of state-of-the-art Li-ion batteries require further improvement to meet the demands of future electric vehicles and portable devices. This NSERC DG proposal aims to solve critical issues in state-of-the-art FCs and Li-ion batteries. For Li-ion batteries, the project aims to replace flammable organic Li-ion electrolytes with non-flammable ceramic-based solid-state electrolytes. These ceramic-based electrolytes possess high ionic conductivity and electrochemical and chemical stability with elemental Li anode and Li-based metal oxide and sulfur cathodes. The challenges in FCs will be resolved by developing low-temperature proton conductor-SOFCs to increase durability and performance using advanced metal oxide catalyst as electrodes. Solid electrolyte serves as a separator between the anode and cathode in FCs and batteries, and control their operating conditions, performance, and durability. The key objectives of the current proposal are to develop highly conductive solid-state proton and Li-ion electrolytes based on inorganic compounds, by investigating each material's crystal structure, ionic conductivity, and electrochemical stability and the relationships between these properties. Highly conductive and stable solid electrolytes are key toward commercializing long-term stable SOFCs and solid-state Li batteries. Advanced all-solid-state Li batteries are safe, robust, and provide high energy density. Over the next 5 years, this research program will train about 50 highly qualified personnel (HQP), giving them hands-on experience in solid-state materials research and its application to sustainable energy development that will further positively influence people's quality of lives in Canada and beyond.