Conjugated Polymer Binders for Lithium and Sodium-Ion Batteries

随着全球气温的升高，能源经济从以化石燃料为基础向可再生能源转型变得越来越紧迫。化石燃料很方便，因为它们可以很容易地运输，并在当地立即转化为所需的能源形式。另一方面，可再生能源在阳光明媚或刮风的时候发电，而不考虑消费者的需求。此外，大功率可再生能源很难移动。廉价的可充电电池可以将能量储存在可定义的小包装中，并根据消费者的需要储存和释放能量。通过这种方式，他们使可再生能源可用于移动应用（例如电动汽车），并增加了现有电网中可实施的可再生能源部分。然而，目前，可充电电池仍然相当昂贵，这提高了可再生能源实施的价格。选择的技术是锂离子电池，通常由包括锂、钴和镍在内的材料制成，这些材料都是昂贵的金属。锂离子电池的制造是一个昂贵的过程，必须在完全干燥和清洁的气氛下进行，并且它使用昂贵且对环境有害的有机溶剂。拟议的研究项目通过探索有助于充分利用储能活性材料的新材料，以电池的成本、性能和可持续性为目标。在目前的资助期内，我和我的团队将探索在典型的锂离子和钠离子电池中具有电子导电性和良好粘合剂的粘合剂。这些粘合剂将活性物质颗粒固定在一起，并通过电子方式将它们连接到电流收集器上。本研究将设计和研究导电粘合剂，探索其在锂离子和钠离子电池中的应用，并阐明导电粘合剂提高电池性能的微观机制。在此过程中，该项目将支持培养3名硕士和2名博士。其结果将在几个方面影响电池的成本、性能和可持续性。首先，这些粘合剂被设计为可水处理的。通过克服使用昂贵、有毒的有机溶剂，这降低了加工成本和对环境的影响。其次，它们将通过容纳电荷存储材料的更大体积变化来获得大容量材料。这增加了电池的电荷存储容量。最后，所提出的粘合剂可以帮助实现更便宜的钠离子电池技术。在目前的资金周期之外，这些知识将应用于替代电池化学物质，这些化学物质有可能极大地提高电池性能，但目前循环寿命较短。

With the rise of global temperatures, the transition of the energy economy from a fossil fuels basis to renewable energy sources is becoming increasingly urgent. Fossil fuels are convenient, because they can be easily transported, and converted to the required form of energy locally and immediately. Renewable energy sources, on the other hand, produce electricity when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing, without regard for consumer requirements. Moreover, high-power renewable energy is hardly mobile. Cheap rechargeable batteries can help by storing energy in definable small packages, and store and release energy as required by the consumer. In this way, they make renewable energy accessible for mobile applications (e.g. electric cars) and increase the implementable renewable energy portion in existing electric grids. However, at the moment, rechargeable batteries are still quite expensive, which raises the price of renewable energy implementation. The technology of choice, Li-ion batteries, are commonly fabricated with materials that include Lithium, Cobalt and Nickel, which are expensive metals. Li-ion battery fabrication is further a costly process that has to be performed under completely dry and clean atmosphere and it uses expensive and environmentally hazardous organic solvents. The proposed research program targets battery cost, performance and sustainability by exploring new materials that can aid the full utilization of energy-storing active materials. Within the current funding period, my team and I will explore binders that are electronically conducting and good adhesives in typical Li- and Na-ion batteries. These binders serve to hold active material particles together, and connect them electronically to the current collector. The proposed research will design and investigate electronically conducting binders, explore their application in Li-ion and Na-ion batteries, and illustrate the microscopic mechanisms by which electronically conducting binders improve the performance of batteries. In doing so, the program will support the training of 3 MSc and 2 PhD students. The outcome will impact battery cost, performance and sustainability in several ways. Firstly, these binders are designed to be water processable. By overcoming the use of costly, toxic organic solvents, this reduces processing costs and environmental impact. Secondly, they will make large capacity materials accessible by accommodating larger volume changes of the charge-storing material. This increases charge storage capacity of the battery. Finally, the proposed binders can help the realization of the much cheaper Na-ion battery technology. Beyond the current funding cycle, this knowledge will be applied to alternative battery chemistries that have the potential to hugely improve battery performance, but currently suffer from low cycle life.