SBIR Phase I: High-Performance, Low-Cost Anode-Free Lithium-Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles and Consumer Electronics

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to create a new type of lithium-ion battery for electric vehicle (EV) battery packs. Passenger vehicles representing 27% of global oil consumption. The proposed material will enable a new affordable, long-range EV reducing battery costs by reducing the battery size by 65% and the cell cost by up to 40%. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to understand the influence of formation conditions and electrolyte composition on the generation of anode-free solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) using electrochemical and thin film characterization techniques. In the absence of a robust SEI, anode-free batteries experience rapid capacity loss that stems from either “mossy” lithium growth or precipitous electrolyte decomposition. These degradation routes result in cells that typically function for less than 50 cycles at room temperature. The impact of formation temperature and current density on anode-free SEI formation during galvanostatic charge/discharge will be analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) as well as conventional electrochemical techniques. These techniques will also measure the impact of varying electrolyte salt/solvent compositions on anode-free SEI formation. The dependence of temperature on cycle life with the optimized SEI conditions will be evaluated through galvanostatic charge/discharge. The key objective of the project is to clarify the formation conditions and electrolyte composition that results in the generation of a smooth SEI layer featuring ideal lithium mosaic columns capable of reversibly cycling with minimal capacity fade at room temperature. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.