SBIR Phase I: Low Cost Manufacturing of Novel Vanadium Nitride based Asymmetric Supercapacitors

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop low-cost manufacturing processes of Vanadium Nitride (VN) based asymmetric supercapacitors. The approach is to combine the synthesis of nanostructured VN with its deposition on a current collector substrate. The combined synthesis and deposition process reduces manufacturing costs and capital equipment expenses. The direct deposition of thin layers of active material on the current collector minimizes the impedance and maximizes peak power capabilities. The plan is to investigate laser sintering of thin layers of vanadium oxides and laser assisted nitridation, assess technical performance of the resulting thin VN electrodes in an asymmetric supercapacitor, and identify design factors critical to performance enhancement and optimization. The broader/commercial impact of this project will be the potential to provide a low-cost deposition method that will revolutionize the manufacturing of asymmetric, high energy density supercapacitors for automotive and smart grid applications. This technology is expected to reduce the cost of supercapacitors by 30% and improve the asymmetric cell energy density by 25%.