Technological improvements in rechargeable solid-state batteries are being driven by an ever-increasing demand for portable electronic devices. Lithium-ion batteries are the systems of choice, offering high energy density, flexible and lightweight design, and longer lifespan than comparable battery technologies. We present a brief historical review of the development of lithium-based rechargeable batteries, highlight ongoing research strategies, and discuss the challenges that remain regarding the synthesis, characterization, electrochemical performance and safety of these systems.

Issues and challenges facing rechargeable lithium batteries

New materials hold the key to fundamental advances in energy conversion and storage, both of which are vital in order to meet the challenge of global warming and the finite nature of fossil fuels. Nanomaterials in particular offer unique properties or combinations of properties as electrodes and electrolytes in a range of energy devices. This review describes some recent developments in the discovery of nanoelectrolytes and nanoelectrodes for lithium batteries, fuel cells and supercapacitors. The advantages and disadvantages of the nanoscale in materials design for such devices are highlighted.

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Nanostructured materials for advanced energy conversion and storage devices

Rechargeable solid-state batteries have long been considered an attractive power source for a wide variety of applications, and in particular, lithium-ion batteries are emerging as the technology of choice for portable electronics. One of the main challenges in the design of these batteries is to ensure that the electrodes maintain their integrity over many discharge-recharge cycles. Although promising electrode systems have recently been proposed, their lifespans are limited by Li-alloying agglomeration or the growth of passivation layers, which prevent the fully reversible insertion of Li ions into the negative electrodes. Here we report that electrodes made of nanoparticles of transition-metal oxides (MO, where M is Co, Ni, Cu or Fe) demonstrate electrochemical capacities of 700 mA h g(-1), with 100% capacity retention for up to 100 cycles and high recharging rates. The mechanism of Li reactivity differs from the classical Li insertion/deinsertion or Li-alloying processes, and involves the formation and decomposition of Li2O, accompanying the reduction and oxidation of metal nanoparticles (in the range 1-5 nanometres) respectively. We expect that the use of transition-metal nanoparticles to enhance surface electrochemical reactivity will lead to further improvements in the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

Nano-sized transition-metal oxides as negative-electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

Since the discovery of mechanically exfoliated graphene in 2004, research on ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials has grown exponentially in the fields of condensed matter physics, material science, chemistry, and nanotechnology. Highlighting their compelling physical, chemical, electronic, and optical properties, as well as their various potential applications, in this Review, we summarize the state-of-art progress on the ultrathin 2D nanomaterials with a particular emphasis on their recent advances. First, we introduce the unique advances on ultrathin 2D nanomaterials, followed by the description of their composition and crystal structures. The assortments of their synthetic methods are then summarized, including insights on their advantages and limitations, alongside some recommendations on suitable characterization techniques. We also discuss in detail the utilization of these ultrathin 2D nanomaterials for wide ranges of potential applications among the electronics/optoelectronics, electrocat...

Recent Advances in Ultrathin Two-Dimensional Nanomaterials

Over the past 30 years, significant commercial and academic progress has been made on Li-based battery technologies. From the early Li-metal anode iterations to the current commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs), the story of the Li-based battery is full of breakthroughs and back tracing steps. This review will discuss the main roles of material science in the development of LIBs. As LIB research progresses and the materials of interest change, different emphases on the different subdisciplines of material science are placed. Early works on LIBs focus more on solid state physics whereas near the end of the 20th century, researchers began to focus more on the morphological aspects (surface coating, porosity, size, and shape) of electrode materials. While it is easy to point out which specific cathode and anode materials are currently good candidates for the next-generation of batteries, it is difficult to explain exactly why those are chosen. In this review, for the reader a complete developmental story of LIB should be clearly drawn, along with an explanation of the reasons responsible for the various technological shifts. The review will end with a statement of caution for the current modern battery research along with a brief discussion on beyond lithium-ion battery chemistries.

30 Years of Lithium-Ion Batteries.

A high-capacity lithium-storage material in metal-oxide form has been synthesized that can replace the carbon-based lithium intercalation materials currently in extensive use as the negative electrode (anode) of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. This tin-based amorphous composite oxide (TCO) contains Sn(II)-O as the active center for lithium insertion and other glass-forming elements, which make up an oxide network. The TCO anode yields a specific capacity for reversible lithium adsorption more than 50 percent higher than those of the carbon families that persists after charge-discharge cycling when coupled with a lithium cobalt oxide cathode. Lithium-7 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements evidenced the high ionic state of lithium retained in the charged state, in which TCO accepted 8 moles of lithium ions per unit mole.

http://dns2.asia.edu.tw/~ysho/YSHO-English/1000%20WC/PDF/Science276,%201395.pdf

Tin-Based Amorphous Oxide: A High-Capacity Lithium-Ion-Storage Material

The present invention provides a non-aqueous secondary battery having an improved charge and discharge cycle property and high discharge voltage, high energy density, high capacity and increased stability as well as an excellent high electric current atitude by using a lithium-containing transition metal oxide as a positive electrode material and at least one of the specfified composite oxides as a negative electrode material Accordingly, the feature of the present invention consists in that the negative electrode material mainly consists of at least one member selected from the group consisting of amorphous chalcogen compounds and amorphous oxides containing at least three atoms selected from the group consisting of Group 13, 14, 15 and 2 atoms of Periodic Table

Non-aqueous secondary battery

This invention provides a cylinder type nonaqueous secondary battery which comprises a positive electrode active material comprising a lithium-containing transition metal oxide, a composite oxide or composite chalcogen negative electrode material capable of intercalating and deintercalating lithium and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a lithium metal salt, wherein high discharging capacity and excellent charge and discharge cycle characteristics are obtained by mounting a metal foil mainly comprising lithium in advance in a coiled group in which a current collector sheet coated with the positive electrode active material (positive electrode sheet), another current collector sheet coated with the negative electrode material (negative electrode sheet) and a separator are coiled in a spiral form.

Nonaqueous secondary battery having multiple-layered negative electrode

A cylinder type nonaqueous secondary cell comprising a positive active material such as a lithium-containing transition metal oxide, a negative active material containing a composite oxide or composite chalcogen capable of adsorbing and emitting lithium, and a nonaqueous electrolyte containing a lithium salt, wherein a current collector sheet (positive plate sheet) coated with the positive active meterial, a current collector sheet (negative plate sheet) coated with the negative active material and a separator are wound together into a coil, which includes lithium-base foil to obtain high capacity and good charge/discharge cycle.

Nonaqueous secondary cell

A crosslinked polymer with high ionic conductivity, an electrolyte using the crosslinked polymer and a process for producing the electrolyte, and a nonaqueous secondary battery using the electrolyte. Crosslinked polymers obtained by a crosslinking reaction between a compound having at least two substituents, in total, of at least one kind selected from the group consisting of α,β-unsaturated sulfonyl, α, β-unsaturated nitryl and α,β-unsaturated carbonyl groups in its molecule and a compound having at least two nucleophilic groups in its molecule.

Yukio Maekawa

Papers

Tin-Based Amorphous Oxide: A High-Capacity Lithium-Ion-Storage Material

Non-aqueous secondary battery

Nonaqueous secondary battery having multiple-layered negative electrode

Nonaqueous secondary cell

Crosslinked polymer, electrolyte using the polymer, and nonaqueous secondary battery using the electrolyte