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SBIR Phase I: Engineered Solid Electrolyte Interphase Films for Silicon-Based Lithium Insertion Anodes

Award Information
Agency: National Science Foundation
Branch: N/A
Contract: 1113240
Agency Tracking Number: 1113240
Amount: $149,046.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: BC
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2010
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2011-07-01
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2012-06-30
Small Business Information
8000 GSRI AVE 3100 BLGD #299
Baton Rouge, LA 70820-7001
United States
DUNS: 832741032
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Wanli Xu
 (225) 803-2366
 xuwanli0525@gmail.com
Business Contact
 Wanli Xu
Phone: (225) 803-2366
Email: xuwanli0525@gmail.com
Research Institution
 Stub
Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to develop and commercialize new types of silicon nanowire anodes which may be used to safely store large amounts of lithium for many types of lithium batteries. The key innovation involves unique functionalization and integration methods that enable nanowire anodes to be cycled reversibly for thousands of cycles without mechanical failure, agglomeration, or deleterious side reactions. Silicon nanowires will be fabricated via electroless etching, and chemically or electrochemically functionalized to improve their performance and capacity retention in a lithium-ion battery. The objective of this work is to develop novel silicon composite anodes that may undergo over 200 deep cycles with capacities of at least 1000 mA.hg-1. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop high capacity anode rechargeable lithium batteries with capacities of over 1000 mA.hg-1, which represents approximate doubling of cell capacity without a significant change in manufacturing or cost. There is a critical need for high energy density rechargeable batteries for next generation hybrid vehicles and fully electric vehicles. In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Energy pointed out that the primary obstacles to the widespread introduction of lithium-based batteries for electric vehicles are the relatively low specific energy and the relatively high cost per kWh. The proposed integration and surface engineering methods will address these problems allowing the safe storage of lithium in silicon anodes for current and future generations of lithium batteries.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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