Lithium Ion Battery Material

Lithium–ion batteries seem to be everywhere these days. They power most of the electronic devices we carry around with us such as- Consumer Gadgets, Electric Cars, Cell phones, Digital cameras, MP3 Players, Laptops and so on. Due to their good energy-to-weight ratio, lithium batteries are some of the most energetic rechargeable batteries available today. They get their name from lithium ion that moves from the anode to the cathode during discharge and from cathode to anode during recharging.

Space and military sectors use Lithium-ion batteries as portable power sources and in future, spacecraft like James Webb Space Telescope are expected to use lithium-ion batteries. The main reason for this rapid domination of lithium-ion battery technology in various sector is the highest storage capacity with respect to its weight.

Lithium-ion batteries are suitable for applications where both high energy density and power density are required, and they are superior to other types of rechargeable batteries such as lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal hydride etc. due to following aspects: (1) store more energy and deliver higher power for longer duration of time (2) get charged in shorter period of time (3) have a longer life time (4) be resistant to fire hazards.

Now a days there is a great deal of interest to upgrade the exisiting LIBs with improved properties & a battery technology that would permit smart storage of electric energy. With the avident of next generation LIBs, electric vehicles are expected to cover longer distances with shorter charging time, mobile phones and laptops are expected to be charged within minutes and last longer.

Nanotechnology has the potential to deliver the next generation batteries, especially lithium-ion batteries, with improved performance, durability and safety at an acceptable cost. A typical lithium-ion battery consists of three main components: an anode made of (mainly graphene and other conductive additives), a cathode (generally a layered transition metal oxide) and electrolyte through which lithium ions shuttles between the cathode and anode during charging and discharging cycles.