SBIR-STTR Award

Electric vehicle manufacturers and the Department of Energy want safer, longer-lasting batteries that utilize new, low-cost materials that are compatible with current battery manufacturing infrastructure and industry standardization. Lithium-ion batteries dominate the current electric vehicle market. The applicant, LLC holds an exclusive license to patented materials that have favorable properties for use in these batteries. In addition, these materials can also improve batteries for portable tools and electronics, medical implants, military and aerospace applications. The applicant’s founders are developing recently patented multiphasic composite materials—composed of graphene monoxide, graphene, and transition metal oxides—into marketable products for novel lithium-ion anodes. With these anodes, battery performance will surpass current lithium-ion batteries because the composite materials facilitate both lithium+ and electron transfer and actively store and release lithium+ during charge/discharge cycles. The new materials are compatible with graphite and silicon-graphite, enabling development of novel, lighter, and safer anode materials that will charge faster and increase battery energy and power densities. We will use 2 approaches to constrain costs: (1) maintain compatibility with existing anode manufacturing infrastructure and (2) initially enter the market as an additive to improve silicon-graphite anode performance. As economies of scale reduce the cost, the applicant’s materials will become a larger-volume fraction of active anode materials. The applicant envisions itself as a materials company that operates in the Chemical and Materials market of lithium-ion batteries. The specific market is advanced Anode Materials with application in electric, plug- in, and hybrid vehicles. Market research projects that the lithium-ion battery market will reach ~$46 B worldwide by 2022, and that its anode segment will reach $1.2 B by 2020 and then will outpace the cathode segment. The applicant’s primary customers are companies that assemble active materials into battery cells and design high-voltage battery packs for automotive applications. Additives can be an entry point into the market while material production scales up and costs decrease. Similarly, establishing with a regional strategic partner that the anodes work well in power tools will enable the applicant to approach enterprise-scale companies that manufacture materials in-house to build on national relationships and explore licensing options. Improved anode materials will result in better batteries, which in turn will make electric vehicles more affordable and convenient to drive. In addition to the economic benefits (such as job creation) from the innovative electric vehicle industry, political and environmental benefits include decreased dependence on foreign oil and reduced air pollution.

Electric vehicle manufacturers and the Department of Energy want safe and fast charging batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles with significant improvement in specific power. Of particular interest are new low-cost materials that can accept high-power recharging during regenerative braking and are compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure. The applicant holds an exclusive license to patented materials with favorable properties for use in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, these materials can improve batteries for portable tools and electronics, medical implants, military, and aerospace applications. The company’s founders discovered and patented Graphene Monoxide, a novel carbon-based nanomaterial that is a 2- dimensional solid crystalline form of carbon monoxide. This is the first and only known solid form of carbon monoxide that occurs at ambient conditions; it has exciting properties suitable for marketable lithium-ion anodes. Superior battery performance arises from improved lithium+ and electron transfer. The materials actively store lithium+ during fast charging at stations and during regenerative braking. The new materials are compatible with graphite and silicon-graphite, enabling development of novel, lighter, and safer anode materials that will charge faster and increase battery specific energy and power. We will use two approaches to constrain costs: (1) maintain compatibility with existing manufacturing infrastructure and (2) enter the market as an additive to improve silicon-graphite anode performance. As economies of scale reduce costs, the applicant’s materials will become a larger fraction of the anode. Phase I objectives (1) Prepare and test novel active anode compositions in half-cells; (2) Prepare and test coin and pouch batteries using anode materials from Objective 1; and (3) Plan for materials scale up. All Phase I Milestones were achieved as proposed, or with modifications guided by R&D, producing 200mAh pouch-cell batteries as a chief milestone. Half- and full-coin and pouch cell electrochemical cycling prove superior performance at fast charging (10C) and at low temperatures (-20°C), with improved specific energy and power. Phase II objectives (1) Improve and optimize novel active anode materials and composites to reduce cost and enhance desirability; (2) Achieve progressive, iterative scale-up of material manufacture to develop an industry-ready process for production of novel active anode materials; (3) Prepare & test 2Ah prototype batteries for demonstration to investors, technology transfer partners, or customers using optimized novel active anode materials. Improved anode materials will result in better batteries, consequently making electric vehicles more affordable and convenient. In addition to economic benefits (such as job creation) from the innovative electric vehicle industry, political and environmental benefits include decreased dependence on foreign oil and reduced air pollution.