APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles
ADVANTAGES:
- Elegant, inexpensive and scalable process
- High specific capacity ( >1000 mAh/g )
- High capacity retention ( 90% )
- High areal capacity ( >3 mAh/cm2 )
ABSTRACT:
A team of Berkeley Lab researchers led by Gao Liu have developed an elegant and inexpensive fabrication method for high performance electrodes with unmatched specific / areal capacities and good capacity retention for application in lithium ion batteries.
The Berkeley Lab process uses porous silicon oxide (SiO) anodes enabled by a conductive polymer binder and enhanced by Stabilized Lithium Metal Powder (SLMP®). The conductive polymer binder enables porosity in SiO, which buffers the volume change of Si in lithiation and delithiation and maintains the mechanical / electrical integrity of the electrode, improving the areal capacity to an impressive ~3.3 mAh/cm2. The binding polymer used also eliminates the need for a conductive additive and increases the cycling stability of Si. SiO is prelithiatied with SLMP® to further enhance the stability and performance of the electrode. The resulting SiO anode has a proven outstanding specific capacity >1000 mAh/g and a 90% capacity retention for ~500 cycles. At C/3 in a lithium ion fuel cell the electrode showed a >80% capacity retention.
Silicon’s high theoretical specific capacity and natural abundance makes it a great material for the development of high-capacity anode materials. However, there has been no widespread application due to the large costs associated with producing a stable Si based electrode. This Berkeley Lab technology provides an inexpensive and scalable method of producing electrodes for commercialization with unmatched performance.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Proven principle
STATUS: Patented: US Patent #10340508. Available for licensing or collaborative research.
SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:
Surface-Modified Active Materials for Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes, IB-3052
Block Copolymer Cathode Binder to Simultaneously Transport Electronic Charge and Ions, IB-3025
Simplified Electrode Formation using Stabilized Lithium Metal Powder (SLMP®) Doping of Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes, IB-3241