APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- High energy density lithium-ion batteries.
- Low cost, high performance batteries for consumer technology, electric vehicles, and electronics companies.
- Environmentally friendly electrode processing.
BENEFITS:
- This class of binders can be made at lower cost compared to the regular conductive polymer.
- The new polymer binder is soluble in ethanol and water aiding environmentally friendly processing.
- Morphology retention through long cycling life.
BACKGROUND:
Silicon stands out as a highly promising candidate for the next generation of lithium-ion battery anodes, owing to its remarkable capacity and suitable operating voltage. However, silicon materials possess a few problems with electrode surface reactions and degradation, as well as the environmental impact of electrode processing. This invention describes a low-cost synthesis pathway for electrically conductive polymer binders that embraces an environmentally conscious approach and achieves exceptional performance for silicon based electrodes in lithium-ion batteries.
TECHNOLOGY OVERVIEW:
The novel low-cost conductive polymer binder has enabled environmentally friendly processing of silicon based electrodes in ethanol and water. Cells have been fabricated and tested in the lab with the conductive binder processed from EtOH/H2O, which shows morphology retention and discharge capacity comparable to previously reported binders processed through chlorobenzene.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Proof of concept
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: Gao Liu
IP Status: Patent pending
Related Technologies:
Conductive Polymer Binders for Aqueous Processing of Battery Electrodes
Novel Conductive Polymer Binders for Next-generation Lithium Batteries
Conductive Polymer Binder for Silicon and Lithium Batteries and Other Electrochemical Devices
OPPORTUNITIES: Available for licensing or collaborative research