STTR Phase II: Advanced Lithium-ion Nanobatteries

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II research project proposes to develop nanotechnology-enabled advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric transportation applications. While lithium-ion batteries represent the current state-of-the-art for rechargeable batteries, performance of current lithium-ion battery designs is limited by the properties of both electrodes and electrolytes. The proposed research combines nanostructured electrodes with environmentally benign electrolytes to develop high-performance, safe, and long lifespan lithium-ion batteries. The proposed research will optimize nanostructured electrodes, produce the electrodes in large scale, and fabricate and evaluate packaged prototype batteries. A team capable of fabricating, evaluating, and commercializing these batteries for electric transportation applications has been assembled. The broader impact of this research is to improve the functionality and marketability of advanced electric transportation applications such as hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and Electric Vehicles (EVs). The proposed batteries will significantly benefit electric vehicle applications by decreasing harmful emissions, achieving better fuel economy, and reducing our nation?s reliance on foreign petroleum sources. More broadly, they will also benefit a wide range of applications including consumer electronics, medical electronics, electric utility industries, and military and defense systems. The technology under development in this project will enable the next generation of lithium-ion batteries that will offer superior performance and reduced environmental concerns. In addition to lithium-ion batteries, nanostructured materials demonstrated in this project will have a broad impact on other electronic and electrochemical devices.