Technology Available for Licensing

Case 14615

Aligned Carbon Nanofiber/Nanotube Electrodes for Energy Storage Devices

Keywords:

Aligned carbon nanofibers (CNF), gravimetric energy density, binder-free, electrodes

Applications:

Lithium-air batteries, electrochemical capacitors, portable consumer electronics, hybrid-electric and all-electric vehicles

Problem:

• Li-ion batteries have low gravimetric capacities (typically 1000-4000 mAh/gcarbon)
• Tortuous pore structure limit the accessibility of electrolyte to available carbon surface area and can choke off electrolyte transport pathways during discharge
• Require the addition of polymeric, insulating binder material to improve mechanical integrity of electrodes and ensure good electrical connection between particles

Technology:

This invention proposes the synthesis of MWCNT electrodes for Lithium-Air batteries. Lithium-Air batteries consist of a Li metal cathode, an organic electrolyte, and a high-surface carbon anode. During discharge, Li ions migrate to the anode and combine with electrons and molecular oxygen to form solid LixO2. MWCNT electrodes can also be used in non-aqueous electrochemical capacitors.

Advantages:

• Theoretical gravimetric energy density is 3-5 times higher than Li-ion.
• Well developed and highly interconnected pore structure.
• Binder-free electrodes for lithium-air electrodes lower the weight of electrodes while maximizing the accessible carbon surface area exposed to electrolyte.
• Process is adaptable to porous substrates with larger available surface areas (such as a metal mesh or carbon paper).
• Convenient for manufacturing and cell assembly.

Inventors:

• Professor Yang Shao-Horn (Mechanical Engineering/ Materials Science, MIT)
• Professor Carl V. Thompson (Material Science and Engineering, MIT)
• Detar M. Gallant (Mechanical Engineering, MIT)
• Robert R. Mitchell (Materials Science and Engineering, MIT)

Intellectual Property:

US Patent Application 13/097244 filed on 4/29/2011

Publications:

MIT news coverage

Related Cases:

14330: Stacked Controlled-Cell Power Conversion Architecture for Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems

14172: Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Evolution in Li-AIR Batteries

Please contact: Christopher R. Noble MIT Technology Licensing Officer 1 Cambridge Center, Kendall Square, NE18-501 Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142-1601

Email: crn@mit.edu Tel: 617-253-6966 Fax: 617–258-6790 Website: http://tlo.mit.edu