High Capacity Lithium Battery Cathodes Based on V2O5 Xerogels

51174-98-I High Capacity Lithium Battery Cathodes Based on Vanadium Oxide Xerogels--Aveka, Inc., 2045 Wooddale Drive, Woodbury, MN 55125-2904; (612) 730-1729 Dr. Gary Pozarnsky, Principal Investigator Dr. Willie Hendrickson, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-98ER82538 Amount: $74,774 Present lithium battery cathode materials do not meet the requirements for use in secondary batteries in the areas of capacity, energy density and cycling ability. This has a detrimental impact on the development of power sources for portable electronics and electric vehicles, which must be resolved before any further progress is made in these fields. This project will develop an environmentally safe, inexpensive, high power, rechargeable lithium battery. This approach incorporates composite vanadium-oxide xerogel particles into a solid polymer electrolyte matrix. The resulting material will have a capacity of approximately 400 mA/g, an energy density greater than 500 Wh/kg, and the ability to cycle continuously without degradation of these properties. In this project, submicron vanadium-oxide xerogel coated particle will be formed which will then be incorporated into a composite solid polymer electrolyte matrix. This cathode material will then be tested to determine its capacity, energy density and ability to cycle without loss of capacity. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The implementation of this proposed technology would have uses in both commercial and military electronics, especially those for which portability is important. The ability to successively recharge these materials would also be beneficial to the development of an economical electric vehicle._