APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Lithium ion batteries for consumer electronics and transportation applications
• Other energy storage systems using lithium metal technology or lithium sulfur technology

ADVANTAGES:

• Dramatic increase in battery safety
• Increases battery specific energy
• Allows the use of less expensive and higher energy density cathode materials
• Non-flammable and nonvolatile electrolyte
• Compatible with lithium metal electrodes
• Compatible with lithium sulfur cells
• Capable of operating over a significant temperature range

DESCRIPTION:

Elton Cairns and colleagues at Lawrence Berkeley Lab have developed a new electrolyte mixture containing ionic liquids that improves the safety and performance of lithium ion batteries. In contrast to the organic solvents usually used as an electrolyte in lithium ion batteries, this novel electrolyte mixture is both nonflammable and nonvolatile.   It is stable over large temperature and voltage ranges and exhibits high ionic conductivity as well as remarkably low viscosity over a wide temperature range.  

The ionic liquid based electrolyte also improves battery specific energy by permitting the safe use of a pure lithium metal electrode that can lower the negative electrode weight by up to 80 percent.   It also allows the potential use of much less expensive cathode materials such as sulfur.   Sulfur gives the highest theoretical capacity of any cathode material.   The use of a sulfur cathode could potentially lead to a 5 times increase in the specific energy.

STATUS:

• Published Patent Application # 20090286163 available at www.uspto.gov. Available for licensing or collaborative research.

To learn more about licensing a technology from LBNL see http://www.lbl.gov/Tech-Transfer/licensing/index.html.

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-2458

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• Conductive Carbon Coating for Electrode Materials IB-2289
• High Conductivity Single-ion Cross-linked polymers for Lithium Batteries and Fuel Cells IB-1553,1554
• High Power Performance Lithium Ion Battery IB-2220