Rational Materials Design for Ultrafast Rechargeable Lithium-ion Batteries

Abstract:Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are important electrochemical energy storage devices for consumer electronics and emerging electrical/hybrid vehicles. However, one of the formidable challenges is to develop ultrafast charging LIBs with the rate capability at least one order of magnitude higher than that of the currently commercialized LIBs. In this talk, I will present our recent development of ultrafast charging LIBs by the rational design of materials. First of all, I will discuss the protocol to rationally grow elongated titanate nanotubes with length up to tens of micrometers by a stirring hydrothermal method. The mechanical force-driven stirring process synchronously improving the diffusion and surface reaction rate of titanate nanocrystal growth in solution phase is the reason for lengthening the titanate nanotubes via an oriented attachment mechanism. This protocol to synthesize elongated nanostructures can be extended to other nanostructured systems, opening up new opportunities for manufacturing advanced functional materials for high-performance energy storage devices. Then, we will show how a robust three-dimensional network architecture with anti-aggregation property is formed for long-time cycling through the assembly of continuous one-dimensional TiO2 nanotubes, which provides direct and rapid ion/electron transport pathways and adequate electrode-electrolyte contact and short lithium ion diffusion distance comparing with other nanostructures. Finally, the future trends and perspectives for the ultrafast rechargeable LIBs are discussed. Continued rapid progress in this area is essential and urgent to endow LIBs with ultrafast charging capability to meet huge demands in the near future.