Project: Development and Understanding of Nanostructured Materials for Advanced Energy Storage
Research team: Z Gary Yang || Jason Zhang || Larry Pederson || Kevin Rosso
Scientists will use an in-situ, high-field NMR to study the diffusion and location of the ions. This instrument is located in the U.S. Department of Energy's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a national scientific user facility, at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
In this project, Transformational Materials Science Initiative researchers are focusing on understanding charge transport in nanostructured materials and initial synthesis/assembly of anode, cathode, and electrolyte/cathode interface nanomaterials for lithium-ion batteries. Low-temperature approaches, including template-assisted and mechanochemical approaches, will be investigated and developed to make novel nanostructures of rutile TiO2 anodes, high-voltage LiMnPO4 cathodes, and nano-thin-film coatings of electrolyte on LiMn2O4 cathodes.
Electrochemical studies: Electrochemical studies, along with structural and chemical analyses via diagnostic tools including NMR and TEM, will be conducted to understand fundamental charge transport in the electrochemically active materials and the effect of processing/nanostructure on charge transport/separation.
Modeling: We will initiate computer modeling to understand and predict the nanosize effects on electron/Li+ (ion) transport in the synthesized nanostructures. This work will begin with a computational framework that can be fully extended and deployed later.
Value of this research: The results of this work will lead to a fundamental knowledge of the role of nanostructure in electrochemical energy storage, scientific understanding of processing routes to produce desirable structures, breakthrough materials and chemistries with improved properties, and cost-effective routes to manufacturing.