The objective of this Grant Opportunity for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) award is to apply electrospinning and carbonization technologies to integrate dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) into a novel type of composite nanofiber for use in lithium-ion batteries. The resultant nanofiber materials combine the advantageous properties of lithium alloy (high-storage capacity) and carbon (long-cycle life) in that the carbon matrix accommodates the volume change of the encapsulated lithium alloy nanoparticles during lithium insertion/extraction. The composite nanofibers may be electrospun into nonwoven fabrics that can be directly used as lithium-ion anodes and thereby eliminate the present use of non-active materials resulting in improved energy and power densities. Fundamental knowledge generated about the processing-structure-performance relationships will guide the design of controlled nano/microstructures and composition to achieve enhanced materials properties for various applications.
The anticipated results will have important scientific and economic impact. Guidelines for both electrospinning and carbonization of inorganic-organic composite nanofibers will be established. Integration of dissimilar materials (lithium alloy and carbon) with multifunctionalities will be realized. Furthermore, the broader impact of this research includes the involvement of graduate and undergraduate students, incorporation of the state-of-the-art research results into existing courses, and partnerships with K-12 programs to increase the use and impact of new technologies in public education.
