Project Grant 2233272

This $275,000 National Science Foundation project grant supports the development of nickel- and cobalt-free cathodes for high-energy and low-cost lithium-ion batteries by Fermi Energy, Inc. from March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2024. The grant is funded through NSF's Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084), which seeks to advance solutions to national challenges through breakthrough technologies.

Specifically, Fermi Energy will design, manufacture, and characterize new cobalt- and nickel-free oxide cathode chemistries using abundant and low-cost elements. They will develop cathode electrodes with controllable physical properties using an all-dry electrode preparation process. The company will also integrate graphite anodes and conduct electrochemical measurements under various testing conditions. The goal is to combine materials synthesis and electrode powder mixing to avoid costly materials handling and enable stable battery cycling with 700 Watt-hours per kilogram specific energy at the cathode level, using mainstream lithium-ion electrolytes and anodes. If successful, the technology has potential to enable low-cost, high-energy, dry-processed, and US-manufactured battery cathodes for more affordable and reliable electric vehicle batteries.