High energy/capacity cathode materials

There is great interest in development of Li-ion rechargeable batteries with high energy/capacity, high rate capability, long cycle life and low cost. More advanced cathode is one of the essential key technologies to realize these properties. However, state-of-the-art cathodes cannot meet the demanding requirements on energy density, safety and cost, because of their intrinsic material properties. In this SBIR project, Aegis Technology Inc. proposes to develop a novel class of cathode material referred to as crystal-habit tuned nanoplates of layered-spinel lithium-manganese-nickel-oxide (HTN-LS-LMNO), which can superior performance including high capacity (~250 mAh/g), high specific energy (~950 Wh/kg), high rate capability (~6C), long cycle life (~1500 cycles) and low cost (much lower than LiCoO4 and equivalent to LiFePO4). A simple scalable synthesis procedure based on hydrothermal method will also be developed to replace the generally used co-precipitation method that is not a cost-effective scalable process for mass production. In Phase I, we will demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed cathode material, covering material design, processing, prototype fabrication and characterization. 18650-sized Li-ion cell prototypes using proposed technology will be demonstrated and characterized as well.