A Safe, Low-Cost, and Sustainable Lithium-Ion Polymer Battery

A polymer lithium-ion battery, formed by a <mml:math display="inline"><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Li</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mn>4</mml:mn><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">Ti</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mn>5</mml:mn><mml:mo>/</mml:mo><mml:mn>3</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:msub><mml:mo>O</mml:mo><mml:mrow><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub><mml:mo>­</mml:mo><mml:msub><mml:mi mathvariant="normal">LiFePO</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mn>4</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:math>Li4/3Ti5/3O4­LiFePO4 electrode combination and a poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVdF)-based gel electrolyte, is presented and discussed. The electrochemical characterization demonstrates that this battery is capable of delivering appreciable capacity values at rates ranging from C/32 (160 mAh g−1) to 0.75C (130 mAh g−1), this being accompanied by a remarkable cycle life. In addition, because the two electrodes are based on common and nontoxic materials and operate within the stability window of the electrolyte, the battery is expected to be safe, inexpensive, and compatible with the environment. All these properties make the battery of prospective interest for application in the hybrid and electric vehicle field. © 2004 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.