Fabrication of a Novel Nanostructured SnO2/LiCoO2 Lithium-Ion Cell

ABSTRACTIncorporating nanotechnology processes and techniques to Li ion batteries has helped to improve the cycling capabilities and overall performance of several lithium ion battery chemistries. Nanostructuring a lithium ion battery’s anode and cathode, allows for extremely high surface area electrodes to be produced and utilized in many of these battery systems. Using a nanoporous Anodized Aluminum Oxide (AAO) membrane with nanopores of 200nm in diameter as a template, high surface area nanostructured electrode materials can be synthesized and utilized in a lithium ion cell. Through the use of RF magnetron sputter coating, these nanoporous AAO templates can be sputter coated with a thin film of active anode or cathode materials. The anode and cathode material in this research are SnO2 and LiCoO2, respectively. Nanostructured SnO2 has been investigated as an alternative high capacity anode to replace the more commonly used carbon based anodes of current lithium ion batteries. A novel nanostructured SnO2/LiCoO2 cell can be fabricated in a liquid electrolyte. The galvanostatic cell cycling performance will be discussed. Nanostructuring both electrode materials as well as the electrolyte can lead to a novel all-solid-state Li ion battery. Nanostructured SnO2 anode and LiCoO2 electrodes have been generated along with a polyethylene-oxide (PEO) based electrolyte nanoconfined in an AAO membrane, to generate a functioning nanostructured all-solid-state cell. The cell was investigated using AC impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic cell cycling. The cycling results of both SnO2/LiCoO2 cell systems will be discussed.