The DOE has selected University of Colorado spin-out SiiLion to receive a $1-million Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) Phase II award. The company is developing Li-ion batteries featuring pure silicon anodes and high-voltage cathodes, enabled using a non-flammable ionic liquid electrolyte.

SiiLion will use the grant to refine and scale up its battery technology. The company hopes to produce a non-flammable Li-ion battery with energy density greater than 800 Wh/L at a cost of less than $200 per kWh.

During the Phase I project, SiiLion developed a novel lithium-ion battery comprising a silicon anode, an imide-based room temperature ionic liquid electrolyte, and a lithium-manganese-rich cathode. The system allows for the use of large particle size micron-Si (μSi), which requires minimal processing.

Preliminary research showed that the system exhibited stable cycling and significant hindrance of the voltage fade mechanism that typically plagues high-voltage Li-Mn-rich electrode materials.

Source: Energy.gov via Green Car Congress