In situ polymerization process: An essential design tool for lithium polymer batteries

Polymer electrolytes (PEs), a type of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), have been in contention for nearly half a century to replace organic liquid electrolytes (LEs) that are used in state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). They are envisaged to accelerate the industrial-scale production of safe, energy-dense, flexible, and thin lithium...

Nafion Ionomer-Based Single Component Electrolytes for Aqueous Zn/MnO2 Batteries with Long Cycle Life

Recently, aqueous rechargeable Zn/MnO2 batteries are emerging as promising energy storage aids owing to their improved safety, low cost of fabrication, and high energy density. However, the rapid decay of capacity during extended charge-discharge cycles hinders the prospect of this technology beyond lab-scale. In the conventional Zn/MnO2 cell,...

Experimental and Theoretical Study of the Effect of Functionalized Pyrene Polymerization on Carbon Electrode Surfaces for Electrochemical Storage

We report the effect of −(CH2)n−COOH (n=0,1,3) functional groups on pyrene adsorption and associated electropolymerization mechanisms on carbon nanotube model electrodes, as well as resulting electrochemical charge-storage properties in a Li metal supercapacitor configuration. The impact of pyrene functional groups is tested by varying the alkyl...

Electropolymerization Triggered in Situ Surface Modification of Electrode Interphases: Alleviating First-Cycle Lithium Loss in Silicon Anode Lithium-Ion Batteries

We report on interphase modification by in situ generated protons (H+) via electropolymerization. The protons are released from oxidative electropolymerization of indole-3-carboxylic acid (InAc) used as an additive in a LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) based cathode during cycling against lithium metal and silicon-graphite composite (Si-Gr)...

Next-gen batteries: enabled by spatial atomic layer interfacing

Li-ion batteries have emerged as the key energy storage technology, not only in portable electronics & gadgets but also in electric vehicles (EV) and grid-storage. A combination of high energy density anodes such as silicon or lithium, and Ni- or Li-rich cathode1,2 is necessary to achieve the targeted energy density of >350 Wh/Kg. The challenge...

Next-Generation Li-ion Batteries Made with Spatial Atomic Layer Deposition as an Enabling Technology

Large-Area Atmospheric-Pressure Spatial ALD enabling All-Solid-State 3D Batteries with Ultrathin LiPON and High-Capacity Electrodes