Flame-Made Nanoparticles for Batteries

Climate change due to anthropogenic CO2 emission and also air pollution by fossil fuel combustion are omnipresent today and will become even more important in future. Needless to say that we have to find a more sustainable approach to cope with the society’s ever increasing demands in energy and mobility.
Li-ion batteries are yet the most powerful mobile electrical energy storage devices enabling sustainable e-mobility and electrical grid storage of typically discontinuous renewable energies. Advances in Li-ion battery technology also revolutionized today’s mobile communication and computing by allowing smaller, lighter and more powerful devices.
Here at PTL we develop new synthesis procedures and battery active materials by the versatile flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) method. Our focus lies thereby on optimizing the particle size of various battery materials (LiMn2O41, LiFePO42, CuO3, Li4Ti5O121,4) and introducing nanothin surface coatings to enhance electrical and Li-ion conductivity in the battery electrode as well as chemical stability with the electrolyte.

Recent, relevant references:

1. F.O. Ernst, H.K. Kammler, A. Roessler, S.E. Pratsinis, W.J. Stark, J. Ufheil, P. Novák, "Electrochemically Active Flame-Made Nanosized Spinels: LiMn2O4, Li4Ti5O12 and LiFe5O8", Mater. Chem. Phys., 101, 372-378 (2007)
2. O. Waser, R. Buchel, A. Hintennach, P. Novák, S.E. Pratsinis, "Continuous Flame Aerosol Synthesis of Carbon-Coated Nano-LiFePO4 for Li-ion Batteries", J. Aerosol Sci., 42, 657-667 (2011)
3. O. Waser, M. Hess, A. Güntner, P. Novák, S.E. Pratsinis, "Size Controlled CuO Nanoparticles for Li-ion Batteries", J. Power Sources, 241, 415-422 (2013)
4. L.V. Nowack, O. Waser, O. Yarema, V. Wood, "Rapid, Microwave-Assisted Synthesis of Battery-Grade Lithium Titanate (LTO)", Rsc. Adv., 3, 15618-15621 (2013)