SBIR Phase I: Electrochemical Flow Reactor for Uniform Deposition of Li Metal Anodes

Award ID: 2026097

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project advances battery technologies for electric vehicles and related applications. The proposed project advances beyond the current Lithium-ion (Li-ion batteries by demonstrating a cost-effective and scalable process to manufacture high-purity, defect-free Lithium (Li) metal electrodes with superior cycle life. Lithium metal batteries promise substantially higher energy density than Li-ion batteries, and have a compelling value proposition for electric vehicles and portable electronics applications. The proposed technology addresses so-called "range anxiety" in electric vehicles, enabling use of these batteries for ranges exceeding 300 miles. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to investigate large area Li-metal thin films deposition with high microstructural and compositional uniformity by overcoming Li-ion concentration gradients in the electrolyte. The project proposes to develop superior Li-metal anodes with the aid of an electrochemical flow reactor to overcome the electrolyte-phase mass transfer limitations. Though reproducibility and uniformity of the thin film anodes is not a concern at electrode areas less than 3-cm2, scaling up to areas exceeding 25 cm2 for commercial pouch cell format can lead to non-uniform and dendritic/mossy morphology, resulting in capacity loss and poor cycling life. A large-area electrochemical flow reactor will be assembled and the process parameters for high-performance Li thin film anodes will be established, producing films with high purity (> 99.99%) and controllable thickness (5-50 micron) with a form factor greater than 25 cm2. The key innovation is an electrochemical flow reactor to produce high-performance lithium metal electrodes using low-cost water-based mineral feedstocks at a commercially viable scale. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Anna Brady-Estevez