Low Cost Synthesis of High Surface Area Thermally Stable Lithium-Ion Battery

78426S Phosphate compounds have significant potential as cathode mataerials in next generation secondary lithium-ion batteries. However, the inclusion of these compounds in electric vehicle and hybrid vehicle applications will depend on the extent to which the surface area of the cathode active material can be increased for increased capacity, and on the development of new materials that are thermally stable to overcharge situations and thermal runaway. In this project, two lithium vanadium phosphates will be prepared as high capacity, thermally stable, cathode materials. The vanadium oxygen double bond in lithium vanadyl phosphate and the corner sharing phosphate tetrahedra in lithium vanadium di-phosphate are expected to make these two phosphates more thermally stable than current phosphate based lithium-ion cathodes. In Phase I, a novel synthesis method will be used to prepare high-surface-area, thermally stable, lithium vanadium phosphate compounds for lithium-ion battery cathodes. The compounds will be characterized with X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscopy, and surface area analysis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry will be used to verify thermal stability and cathode specific capacity will be determined by constructing and testing lithium-ion battery coin cells. Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: Phosphate based materials should have significant commercial potential as battery materials for electric and hybrid vehicles if the safety of these materials with respect to overcharge and thermal runaway can be addressed. Batteries represent a $50 billion world wide market, and the market for secondary (rechargeable) batteries is $5.5 billion. In addition, lithium iron phosphate compounds are beginning to be commercialized as rechargeable battery cathodes for portable electronics; cathode materials based on phosphates are environmentally friendly and possess the capacity and cycling stability necessary for portable electronics.