Nanomaterials in Secondary Battery Development
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
This granted funded research into the application of nanoscience to Li-ion batteries. Different synthesis strategies were employed to create a nanofiber electrode (based on tin-oxide) and a honeycomb electrode (carbon). In both cases, we showed that the nanostructured material was capable of delivering dramatically increased specific capacity (mAh/g) upon discharge when compared to conventional film electrodes. This ability is due to the decreased solid-state diffusion distance of the Li-ion in the nanostructured electrodes. The nanofiber-SnO{sub 2} electrode was created by the template synthesis method. Briefly, a precursor solution impregnates the monodisperse nanoscopic pores of a sacrificial template membrane. The pores run the membrane's entire length. The precursor solution is then processed to the desired material, here using sol-gel chemistry, and the template is removed. This leaves nanostructures of the desired product intact and extending from a substrate like the bristles of a brush. This research topic combines this nanofabrication technique with the Sn-based anode. Tin-oxide based composites have shown great promise as an alternative material for Li-ion battery anodes. This material is electrochemically converted to composite Sn/LiO{sub 2} electrodes. In this form, they are theoretically capable of storing twice the amount of Li as carbon, the current commercial anode. We showed important improvements in rate-capabilities and cycle-life of this Sn-based nanoscale electrode compared to a thin-film electrode of the same material. Rate-capabilities are a measurement of the specific capacity able to be delivered at increasing discharge rates (1C = 1/h). Figure 1 compares the rate capabilities of the nanostructured electrode to that of the film control electrode. This report shows the nanostructured material was capable of delivering dramatically increased specific capacity (mAh/g) upon discharge when compared to conventional film electrodes.
- Research Organization:
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research (ER) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-99ER14958
- OSTI ID:
- 824764
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/14958-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Sol-gel-based template synthesis and Li-insertion rate performance of nanostructured vanadium pentoxide
Charge–discharge properties of tin dioxide for sodium-ion battery