Optimizing Ion Mobility, Chemical Stability, and Mechanical Rigidity in Composite Electrolytes

优化复合电解质中的离子淌度、化学稳定性和机械刚性

• 批准号: 1106058
• 负责人: John Kieffer
• 金额: $ 55.2万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-10-01 至 2017-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1106058&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Optimizing; Ion; Mobility; Chemical; Stability

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Energy storage is a critical aspect of sustainable and renewable energy technologies, and mobile information systems. While the chemical nature of anode and cathode determines the amount of energy that can be stored in a battery of a given size, the separator material (or electrolyte) controls its charge cycling rates, lifetime, and structural integrity. High conductance of the ion responsible for the electrochemical conversion (e.g., lithium) facilitates high power release and short recharge times. Chemical compatibility between electrolyte and electrode materials prevents the formation of blocking layers that would suppress the electrochemical process. Mechanical rigidity of the electrolyte inhibits dendrite growth that can short circuit the device and lead to catastrophic failure (e.g., spontaneous combustion). Unfortunately, these performance criteria rely on conflicting materials properties, and the challenge lies in devising a composite structure that maximizes all these attributes. In this research, a combination of simulation-based predictive design, advanced materials synthesis approaches, microstructural characterization, and performance monitoring is employed to develop new composite electrolytes with unsurpassed performance. This project contributes to the development of human resources in an innovative way by training a doctoral student in combining experimental and computational tools of investigation, and providing research experiences for undergraduate students. Connections with secondary school educators are reached through an ASM High School Teachers Camp. As well, they are pursuing a new masters mentoring program for students from minority serving institutions. It is expected to have a dual benefit - on one hand, students are gaining insight into scientific research, and on the other hand, faculty are better-positioned to proactively recruit underrepresented minorities and women into doctoral programs in science and engineering.TECHNICAL DETAILS: The objective of this research is to develop composite battery electrolytes that exhibit high Li+ conductivity, that are mechanically rigid enough to suppress lithium dendrite growth and safely separate electrodes in self-supporting device structures, and that possess an electrochemical stability range wide enough to accommodate large electrode potential differences. While high ionic conductivity and transference numbers are important for the charge-discharge rates of batteries, stiffness and electrochemical stability are essential for taking advantage of the full redox potential of Li metal, and thus increase the gravimetric capacity of energy storage for these devices. A combination of molecular simulation-based predictive design, hybrid organic-inorganic sol-gel synthesis, in situ monitoring of microstructural developments using inelastic light scattering, and dielectric impedance measurements is used to systematically explore materials chemistries and building block functionalities for the creation of nano-porous heterogeneous electrolytes. By targeting enhanced stiffness, geometrically optimized Li+ migration paths, minimal dissipative coupling between cation and donor, and tunable redox potentials, these hybrid network structures are designed to exhibit unsurpassed performance as rechargeable battery electrolytes.

非技术描述：储能是可持续和可再生能源技术以及移动信息系统的关键方面。 虽然阳极和阴极的化学性质决定了可以存储在给定尺寸的电池中的能量量，但分离器材料（或电解质）控制其电荷循环速率，寿命和结构完整性。 负责电化学转化率（例如锂）的离子的高电导率有助于高功率释放和短时间充电时间。 电解质和电极材料之间的化学兼容性阻止了抑制电化学过程的阻断层的形成。 电解质的机械刚度抑制了可以短路的树突生长，并导致灾难性衰竭（例如自发燃烧）。 不幸的是，这些性能标准依赖于冲突的材料属性，而挑战在于设计一种使所有这些属性最大化的复合结构。 在这项研究中，采用基于模拟的预测设计，高级材料合成方法，微结构表征和性能监测的组合来开发具有无与伦比性能的新复合电解质。 该项目通过培训博士生将实验和计算研究工具结合在一起，并为本科生提供研究经验，以创新的方式为人力资源的发展做出了贡献。通过ASM高中教师训练营与中学教育者的联系。 同样，他们正在为来自少数服务机构的学生提供新的硕士指导计划。 预计它将具有双重好处 - 一方面，学生正在深入了解科学研究，另一方面，教师的位置更好，可以主动招募代表性不足的少数群体和女性进入科学和工程学的博士学位课程。技术细节：这项研究的目的是，这项研究的目的是在较高的抑制范围内抑制了较高的抑制，以抑制机制，这是机制的，这是机制的，这是机制的，这是一种机制的抑制作用。自支撑设备结构中的电极，并且具有足够宽的电化学稳定性范围足以容纳大电极的电势差。 虽然高离子电导率和转移数对于电池的充电速率很重要，但刚度和电化学稳定性对于利用LI金属的全氧化还原电位，因此增加了这些设备的储能能力。 基于分子仿真的预测设计，混合有机溶胶 - 凝胶合成，使用非弹性光散射对微结构开发以及介电脱位测量的结合，用于系统地探索材料化学和构建块功能，以创建Nano-Poros polose polose polose opertolos electolos enetrolos enetrolos enetrolos electolos electolos electolos electolos electerses sealtos sealterolos electolos electerses s。 通过靶向增强的刚度，几何优化的LI+迁移路径，阳离子和供体之间的最小耗散耦合以及可调的氧化还原电位，这些混合网络结构旨在表现出无与伦比的性能作为可充电电池电解质。