Energy and environment are two most challenging issues
faced by our society today. With an ever increasing demand
for oil, depletion of renewable fuel source, and dramatic
climate change caused by CO2 emission, there is an urgent
need for alternative energy source that is not based on fossil
fuel. Consequently, wind, solar and wave generated energy
has become heavily pursued; but to work with the grid, these
forms of energy have to be stored and converted according to
the electricity demand and scheduling. Batteries, especially
rechargeable ones, are one of the primary energy storage and
conversion systems. Research in batteries has gained
tremendous speed recently, not only for large scale energy
storage but also for power demand in a variety of electronic
devices, such as cell phones, laptops, and all kinds of power
tools. It is necessary to develop renewable, low-cost, and
environmentally friendly energy conversion and storage
systems, to replace much of the existing technology.
Among many forms of batteries, the rechargeable lithium
battery has become favorite because of its features in high
energy density, long cycle life, and abuse-tolerant
characteristic. Still there is much to be learnt and to improve.
The performance of rechargeable lithium batteries strongly
depends on the structures and properties of battery materials
used, especially in their specific capacity, electrochemical
potential, energy and power density, and cyclability.
Structural improvements include size and shape modification
by employing various physical and chemical approaches. In
particular, nanostructured materials represent one of the most
promising as this approach can effectively contribute to a
decrease in the path length for lithium ion transport,
reduction in internal transfer resistance, and an increase in
surface area for electrochemical reactions. The design and
engineering of novel nanostructured materials for
rechargeable lithium batteries have become one of the most
sought after strategies for the battery research and
development. The objective of this special issue is to survey
the current research and development of rechargeable lithium
batteries and in particular, the materials used in preparing the
cathode and anode for enhanced battery performance.
Editorial - Nanostructured Materials for Rechargeable Lithium Batteries