Development of Graphene Modified Cathode for Next Generation Aqueous Rechargeable Lithium Batteries

Aqueous rechargeable lithium battery has received great attention recently due to the less toxicity, lower cost and higher safety compared to the non-aqueous systems. When using the commercially available lithium manganese oxide as active materials, there are demands in suppressing manganese dissolution and graphite consumption in the cathode. As a potential solution to achieve these goals, in this proposal, two dimensional graphene materials are integrated on the surface of the cathode, forming a hybrid cathode aqueous battery. Attributing to the unique physical and chemical properties of graphene, such rechargeable hybrid aqueous battery (ReHAB) is expected to show significantly improved electrochemical performance over traditional aqueous batteries, constituting a viable alternative to large scale energy storage application. The progress made by this research will be directly transferred to the industrial partner, POSITEC Group Canada, based in Toronto, to further optimize large-scale manufacturing and design start-stop energy suppliers in electric vehicles.

Faculty Supervisor:

Pu Chen

Student:

Jian Zhi

Partner:

University of Waterloo

Discipline:

Engineering - chemical / biological

Sector:

Alternative energy

University:

University of Waterloo