Projects / Programmes
Functional nano-composites for energy storage technologies: principles and applications
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.04.00 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Materials science and technology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T150 |
Technological sciences |
Material technology |
Nanostructured materials, conducting layers, wiring, lithium accumulators
Researchers (2)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
19277 |
PhD Robert Dominko |
Materials science and technology |
Researcher |
2004 - 2006 |
0 |
| 2. |
10180 |
PhD Janko Jamnik |
Materials science and technology |
Head |
2004 - 2006 |
0 |
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0104 |
National Institute of Chemistry |
Ljubljana |
5051592000 |
10 |
Abstract
The main project goal is development of new nanostructured electrode materials based on active materials with interesting thermodynamic properties (high voltage, specific capacity etc.) but which - in their present form as battery materials - exhibit sluggish charge/discharge kinetics. The kinetics of the new composites will be greatly improved by appropriate wiring of active matter on nanoscale. To achieve such a wiring, a special preparation procedure based on a sol-gel method, which allows mixing on the molecular level, will be applied. The synthesis conditions will be systematically studied in order to obtain highly porous material with wide distribution of pore sizes and with carbonaceous coating over the whole surface area (pore walls and particle's surface). The pores, when filled with liquid electrolyte, will serve as an ionic conductor and the carbonaceous material as an electron conductor. The fast kinetics of such a nanoarchitecture will result from the short distance between the pores which assures short chemical diffusion paths for lithium. The absence of nanoparticles will facilitate the final preparation of electrodes: a smaller amount of binders and other additives will be required and potential health, safety and environmental hazards associated with nanoparticles will be avoided. Various techniques will be used for materials characterization (transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Moessbauer spectroscopy, electron spin resonance spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction spectroscopy and, finally, conventional and advanced electrochemical methods). It is expected that the new material type will be of great interest for battery industry but also for related fields (supercapacitors and, potentially, fuel cells).
