Bulk Production of Ultra-Small Carbon nanotubes and their Applications in High
Capacity Compact Power Cells
Ping SHENG
Objective
(a) Use templating technique to deliver bulk quantities of high quality
and high purity carbon nanotubes.
(b) Use these template-grown nanotubes as battery material to make
batteries that have higher energy storage capacity and longer
lifetime.
(c) Use these nanotubes to support Pt electrocatalyst and store H2 for
fuel cells.
Methodology
(a) Theoretical simulation of energy capacity of nanotube-based
lithium batteries and nanotube-based hydrogen fuel cells.
(b) Fabrication and performance testing of lithium batteries using the
ultra-small carbon nanotubes as cathode materials.
(c) Fabrication and performance testing of hydrogen fuel cells using
carbon nanotubes as supporting material of Pt catalyst nanoparticles.
carbon nanotubes@zeolite as cathode material.
Deliverables
(a) Bulk production (10-30 g/day) of ultra-small carbon nanotubes
(0.4nm - 30nm) using template (zeolite or AAO).
(b) High performance nanotube-based lithium rechargeable batteries
with specific capability 1.5 ~ 2.0 times higher than that of
commercial graphite-based Li-ion batteries (374 mAh/g).
(c) Technology of carbon nanotube based catalyst for fuel cells.
Prototype fuel cell with capacity of 10-50 W.
Current Status
(a) Bulk production of ultra-small carbon nanotubes has been successfully increased up to 50g/day.
(b) Theoretical as well as experimental investigations showed that the
template-confined nanotube is a surprisingly good medium for high
Li storage capacity.
(c) The lithium batteries prepared using the ultra-small carbon
nanotubes in templates with nano-channels showed the potential of
high capacity, at least two times higher than the commercial
graphitic carbon. However, the efficiency ratio of charge to
discharge, and the cycle lifetime still have room for improvement,
which will be the focus in the remaining part of the project.
(d) Nanotube-based catalyzed electrodes were fabricated, and a
nanotube-based hydrogen fuel cell is fabricated. Improvement in
the efficiency of the hydrogen fuel cell is in progress.
-->> more work from Prof P. Sheng
-->> more about battery
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