Grant: Collaborative Research and Development Grants

Transportation is currently reliant almost exclusively on fossil fuels. However, hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) are starting to make a significant impact on the auto sector. Recent figures show they successfully reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Even better are PHEV's (plug-in HEV's) that can be charged directly from the grid. If suitable batteries were available, PHEVs may well capture much of the hybrid market in the near future. This project is directed to the development of new electrode materials for the energy storage devices that can fulfill the demands for these applications. Lithium ion batteries are the rechargeable cell of choice, so powerful that they've become ubiquitous in today's world. They are more energy-dense than the nickel metal hydride cells currently used in HEV's. That means a Li-ion battery can run for a longer time than a nickel metal hydride battery of the same weight, and PHEV becomes a reality. The aim is to develop much safer cathode materials to replace those that are currently commercial in portable electronic devices, to produce batteries that have the low cost and longevity characteristics suitable for commercialization for HEV/PHEV. The materials of choice that fulfill these needs are lithium metal phosphates (LMPs). These are now seen as viable alternatives although their poor electronic conductivity properties pose practical challenges. This is the focus of this proposal. The project, in conjunction with our industrial partner, GM, will encompass different aspects of LMP chemistry, including the a) development of better coatings to increase the overall conductivity; b) understanding of phase transitions in the materials during electrochemical reactions; c) interface studies to probe the interaction between the coating and the LMP surface; d) determination of the role that solid solutions play in increasing transport properties, and finding ways to induce this behavior in materials; e) understanding ion and electron transport in a new iron fluorophosphate that we have recently developed.