Stepped Graphene Current Collectors for Battery Contact Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional battery designs face challenges in optimizing contact resistance and surface area between current collectors and electrodes, limiting the performance and efficiency of energy storage devices like lithium-ion batteries.
Innovation Solution
The use of graphene monolayers in a stepped arrangement as current collectors in lithium-ion batteries, which increases the surface area to volume ratio at interfaces with cathode and anode layers, enhancing electrical contact and ion conduction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If conventional current collectors are used with flat surfaces, then the device complexity is low, but the surface area between current collector and electrodes is limited, resulting in higher contact resistance
Solution Approach 1:
The current collector is transformed from a flat two-dimensional surface to a three-dimensional stepped structure. Multiple graphene monolayers are stacked at different positions to create vertical steps, effectively increasing the contact surface area between the current collector and electrodes without significantly increasing the horizontal footprint of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple graphene monolayers are nested within each other to form the stepped structure. Each monolayer is positioned slightly offset from the others, creating a nested arrangement that builds up the three-dimensional stepped profile while maintaining the compact structure.
2Reliability
If conventional current collectors are used, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the contact resistance between current collector and electrodes is high
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process incorporates vertical stacking of graphene monolayers at different horizontal positions to create stepped structures. This three-dimensional arrangement is achieved through controlled deposition or assembly processes that position each monolayer relative to the others, improving electrical contact while maintaining manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The current collector is constructed as a composite structure using multiple graphene monolayers instead of a single homogeneous material layer. Each monolayer contributes to the overall stepped geometry, and the composite nature of the structure enables both improved electrical contact properties and controlled manufacturing through layer-by-layer assembly.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 2C~2D
AI summary
This disclosure relates to a battery and a method for its manufacture. The method of manufacture may include forming a cathode layer proximate to a cathode current collector. The method further includes forming an electrolyte layer proximate to the cathode layer and an anode layer proximate to the electrolyte layer. The method additionally includes forming an anode current collector layer proximate to the anode layer. At least one of the cathode current collector layer or the anode current collector layer includes a plurality of graphene monolayers. The method yet further includes determining a stepped arrangement of the graphene monolayers; and patterning at least a portion of the plurality of graphene monolayers according to the stepped arrangement.