SBIR Phase I: Advanced Metal Anode with Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) for Rechargeable Lithium Metal Batteries

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop an advanced metal anode (AMA) material for rechargeable lithium metal battery focused on meeting the needs of a high energy density, low-cost energy storage system for applications in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, electric planes and renewable energy storage. The project is designed for the growing global lithium battery market, developing the AMA material as a drop-in replacement for the $10 B anode market. These batteries would enable broader adoption of electric vehicles and renewable energy sources. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to prepare an anode material utilizing an artificially generated solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Use of lithium metal as the anode can double the energy density of current lithium batteries; however, state-of-the-art lithium metal thin film anodes have the tendency to form dendritic structures near the interface with repeated cycling, causing performance and safety issues. Based on a new SEI model, the proposed copper-based anode material will have an SEI guiding the deposition of lithium away from the interface with its designed pore structure. Phase I research efforts will focus on: 1) preparing the AMA material with perfectly covered SEI; 2) demonstrating lithium plating and de-plating capabilities of the AMA material with coin half-cell and full-cell cycling tests. In conjunction with appropriate electrolytes and electrodes, the AMA-based coin half-cells will finish 300 cycles at 1 mA/cm2 and 1 mAh/cm2; and the AMA-based coin full-cells will have 100 cycles at no less than 0.2 C rate with 80% capacity retention. 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.