Investigators

Robert Huggins, Materials and Science Engineering, Stanford University

Objective

This exploratory program researches the feasibility of new cathode materials to improve battery performance in vehicles and other weight-sensitive applications. Unlike typical transition metal oxide materials currently used in lithium battery cathodes, these high voltage metal and metal-metalloid alloys will have a lower weight and thus improve the specific energy of batteries. The research will explore the feasibility of making lithium alloy cathodes using various chemical and electrochemical methods. It is anticipated that preliminary results from this work will reveal whether there is a convincing pathway for battery cathode materials of the type investigated in this study to have the potential for impact at scale.

Progress Report

• 2010 Progress Report (PDF)

Publications

• C. Wessells, F. La Mantia, R. Ruffo, R.A. Huggins, and Y. Cui, “Investigations of the electrochemical stability of aqueous electrolytes for lithium battery applications”, Electrochemical Solid State Letters 13 (5) A59-A61, (2010).
• R. Ruffo, C. Wessells, R.A. Huggins, and Y. Cui, “Electrochemical behavior of LiCoO₂ as aqueous lithium-ion battery electrodes”, Electrochemistry Communications 11 (2), 247-249, (2009).
• Wessells, Colin, Fabio La Mantia, Heather Deshazer, Robert A. Huggins, and Yi Cui. Synthesis and Electrochemical Performance of a Lithium Titanium Phosphate Anode for Aqueous Lithium-Ion Batteries. Journal of The Electrochemical Society 158, no. 3 (2011): A352-A355.
• Wessells, Colin, Robert A. Huggins, and Yi Cui. Recent results on aqueous electrolyte cells. Journal of Power Sources 196, no. 5 (2011): 2884-2888.

Presentations

• Wessells, C., F. La Mantia, R. A. Huggins, and Y. Cui. “Pursuing a Higher-Voltage Aqueous Lithium Battery,” Presentation at the Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Vancouver, April 25, 2010.
• Wessells, C., R. Ruffo, R. A. Huggins, and Y. Cui. “Performance of LiCoO₂ as Aqueous Lithium-ion Battery Electrodes,” Presentation at the Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, San Francisco, May 2009.