This award provides funding for the acquisition of a lithium evaporation system at the Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA). This new system will complement the existing infrastructure at the Solid High Energy Lithium Battery (SHELiB) Center at XULA and it will be used for research and training of underrepresented minority students in critical research areas such as nanotechnology and energy. XULA students will gain experience in the state-of-the-art lithium battery technology. In addition, students from GaTECH and Auburn University will come to XULA to use the equipment. The acquisition of this instrumentation will contribute to the mission of the SHELiB Center which is to provide opportunities and support systems that recruit, retain and develop undergraduate students in STEM-related disciplines. Several postdocs, graduate students, and over 60 underrepresented minority students will be impacted by the availability of the new instrumentation.
This proposal is to acquire a lithium evaporation system imbedded in an MBraun Labstar glovebox for research and education, to advance the understanding of a variety energy storage systems, with a focus on creating novel interface phenomena. The acquisition of this system will have an impact on the wide variety of research activities conducted in the Solid High Energy Lithium Battery (SHELiB) Center at XULA. This system will enable the preparation of controlled interfaces between anode materials and solid or polymer electrolytes. This will allow the study of transport and stability across the interfaces that will lead to the development of solid, high-energy lithium batteries. Participating investigators from XULA, Georgia Institute of Technology, Auburn University, US Army Research Lab (ARL), and NASA will directly benefit from the availability of the new equipment. This system will enable the preparation of the desired interfaces in situ without exposing the materials to ambient environment. Interfacial research is critically needed for designing new electrolyte systems that are stable against Li electrodes. To take advantage of Li high energy capacity electrode, the reason for their instability must be understood. The PIs have expertise and active research programs that explore these types of materials and their interfaces. The proposed projects will pave the way towards the formation of all-solid-state lithium batteries with high energy density and enhanced safety. Also, knowledge gained in interfacial processes will broadly benefit areas related to energy needs such as fuel cells and hydrogen production.
