Opportunities and Challenges for Achieving High Performance Electrochemically Active Systems

摘要: Energy storage and conversion are critical for meeting the growing energy demands of the increasing global population. Current energy demands are still largely met by exploiting natural reserves supplemented by oil and gas exports. Energy storage is dominated by the ubiquitously popular Li-ion battery technology which has witnessed tremendous progress attaining the flag ship technology status since the commercialization of the first Li-ion battery (LIB) by Sony in 1991. Correspondingly, the system has seen unbridled progress in all areas of cathode, electrolytes and anodes [1]. Lithiated transition metal oxides exploiting a combination of Ni, Mn and Co with higher Ni contents have been the subject of much intense activity of late. The last two decades heralded new alloying chemistry of zintl phases focused on silicon and tin as alternative anodes offering almost 10-fold higher specific capacity than …