Cellulose Biopolymer-based Flexible Nanofibrous Composite Solid Polymer Electrolyte for Next Generation Sodium-ion Batteries
Project overview
This project aims to address the challenges and opportunities in the green expansion of battery technology, particularly the transition from conventional lithium-based batteries (LIBs) to solid-state sodium ion batteries (ss-SIBs).
With the global battery market currently reliant on LIBs and facing sustainability concerns due to the limited availability of lithium, ss-SIBs emerge as a promising alternative. These batteries leverage the abundant and cheaper sodium, avoiding the use of scarce materials like cobalt or nickel, significantly reducing costs. Despite their advantages, ss-SIBs confront hurdles such as lower electrode capacity, complex manufacturing processes and poor mechanical properties in flexible applications.
This project proposes a novel nanoengineering approach by developing a green, cellulose-based, electrospinning, nanofibrous advanced composite solid polymer electrolyte for ss-SIBs. The goal is to overcome the challenges of ss-SIBs and advance the technology from material research to prototyping and manufacturing.
Key project details
Principal investigator | Qingye (Gemma) Lu, associate professor, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary |
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Co-principal investigators |
Jinguang Hu, associate professor, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary; Xia Li, assistant professor, Chemical and Materials Engineering and Concordia University Research Chair in in High Energy Rechargeable Batteries, Concordia University | |
Research collaborators |
Michael Liu, director, Cancarbon Technologies Inc. | |
Non-academic partners | Cancarbon Technologies Inc. | |
Research Keywords | Cellulose, biopolymer, nanofibrous, composite, solid-state electrolyte, sodium- ion batteries | |
Budget | Cash: $200,000 In-kind: $130,000 |
Research focus
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Development of cellulose-based electrospun nanofibrous composite solid polymer electrolytes (nc-spe)
This theme involves creating advanced NC-SPEs for solid-state sodium ion batteries (ss-SIBs) by utilizing cellulose biopolymers and derivatives. It encompasses the fabrication and testing of five key types of NC-SPEs, including aligned, cross-linked, nano-porous, transition metal-coordinated and polymer binder-assisted NC-SPEs.
![A detailed 3D model visualization of an urban area with various layers indicating different aspects of the built environment. It features a services menu with options such as 'Building Info', 'Energy Demand' and 'Network Solution'.](/content/concordia/en/research/volt-age/initiatives/cellulose-biopolymer-based-flexible-nanofibrous-composite-solid-polymer-electrolyte-for-next-generation-sodium-ion-batteries/_jcr_content/content-main/grid_container_351879753/grid-container-parsys/offset_block_270342291/adaptiveimage.img.full.medium.png/1710979510496.png)
Impact of nanoarchitecture on sodium ionic conductivity, mechanical property and electrochemical stability
This phase focuses on investigating the impact of the nanoarchitecture of NC-SPEs on improving sodium ionic conductivity, mechanical properties, and initial electrochemical stability with sodium metal anode. It involves comprehensive material characterization studies using various analytical techniques.
![](/content/concordia/en/research/volt-age/initiatives/cellulose-biopolymer-based-flexible-nanofibrous-composite-solid-polymer-electrolyte-for-next-generation-sodium-ion-batteries/_jcr_content/content-main/grid_container_351879753/grid-container-parsys/offset_block_969948035/adaptiveimage.img.full.medium.png/1710979483769.png)
Application and performance enhancement of nc-spes
This step aims to explore the application of the developed NC-SPEs in flexible ss-SIBs and enhance their performance. It includes demonstrating the compatibility and stability of each cellulose-based NC-SPE as a solid separator within the sodium metal anode and nanostructured cathode materials in coin cell setup, exploring alternative design concepts and investigating overall battery performance.
![A detailed 3D model visualization of an urban area with various layers indicating different aspects of the built environment. It features a services menu with options such as 'Building Info', 'Energy Demand' and 'Network Solution'.](/content/concordia/en/research/volt-age/initiatives/cellulose-biopolymer-based-flexible-nanofibrous-composite-solid-polymer-electrolyte-for-next-generation-sodium-ion-batteries/_jcr_content/content-main/grid_container_351879753/grid-container-parsys/offset_block_1432727177/adaptiveimage.img.full.medium.png/1710979472028.png)
Fabrication and testing of prototype flexible ss-sibs
This step involves the fabrication of prototype flexible ss-SIBs using promising compositions of cathode and electrolyte materials, along with the sodium metal anode. It focuses on testing batteries with diverse designs at varying current densities to enhance high-capacity retention over numerous cycles.
![](/content/concordia/en/research/volt-age/initiatives/cellulose-biopolymer-based-flexible-nanofibrous-composite-solid-polymer-electrolyte-for-next-generation-sodium-ion-batteries/_jcr_content/content-main/grid_container_351879753/grid-container-parsys/offset_block_1633368287/adaptiveimage.img.full.medium.png/1710979564573.png)
Summarization of extensive battery testing for commercialization
The final step of this project involves summarizing the extensive battery testing of several coin-cell and flexible cell configurations. This goal is pivotal for collaborating with commercial battery companies to conduct a cost analysis of materials, tSme, and methodologies used, aiming at establishing a high-performing, economical and sustainable ss-SIB for commercialization.
Non-academic partners
Thank you to our non-academic partners for your support and trust.
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