THE  BASIC  OFFER

New material designs are imperative to achieve the fundamental advances in energy conversion and storage systems. Both of which are vital to the challenge of mitigating global warming, which requires a susbtitution of energy supplementation untethered from a reliance on environmentally compromising combustion fuels.

We offer quantum-confined, atomically-architectured materials for improving  energy storage system deliverables, in niche applications where lightweight, heat and or radiation degradation resistance, high performance and longevity with low volume materials are an essential requirement.

ATOMICALLY-ARCHITECTURED ENERGY STORAGE MATERIALS

In contemporary battery/energy storage technology, silicon(Si)-based electrodes suffer from huge volume changes, during the lithiation/delithiation processes. This results in the pulverization of silicon nanostructures and consequently, in a shortening of the cycling properties of the batteries.

Silicene carbide (SixC) is the most corrosion-resistant ceramic, with the capacity to maintain its strength up to 1400°C (2552 °F). In nanostructured and atomically-architectured form, SixC exhibits rather high hardness, preserving its structure after long cycling times. 

Nanostructured SixC used as an anode material in Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) exhibits superior cycling stability, good rating capability and low impedance. The smaller the size of the atomically-architectured material, the higher its stress/strain tolerance. This minimises pulverisation and extends the cycle life of a battery within which such atomically-architectured materials are incorporated.

Atomically-architectured SixC nanotubes find applicability in high temperature micro-ultracapacitors, wherein studies have shown them to exhibit exceptional stability, with and extensive service life. 

Nanotechnology is that counter-intuitive domain, wherein less material is required to achieve more functionality, as surface area increases significantly, with size miniaturization. With such high surface area materials, especially in the quantum-confinement size range (< 20 nm), it becomes possible to achieve high performance, durable, lightweight systems, using very little quantum material. Atomic architecture is the extra step incorporated in our material design & manufacture processes, to boost both the functionality and environmental compatibility of quantum materials, thus making their scope of applicability more efficient and versatile. The essential goal for progress, resides in increasing the energy density of a material, not necessarily its volume.

THE  QUANTUM  DOMAIN

Progress in the quantum regime of atomically-architectured nanomaterials is not about increasing volume. Upscale in the quantum domain comes more through an increase in surface area and consequentially material performance, rather than material quantity. It is done with an understanding of how to reposition more atoms in the operational field of the material surface. Increasing the surface area to volume ratio as is the case with quantum materials, improves both energy and power density by virtue of an increase in the electrochemically active area and a reduction in transport lengths. Less is more: It's about tapping into the raw energy the of the uncoordinated atoms, open for substantial exploits. Essentially, it is a unique collaboration with nature, and quantum materials are the gateway.

Quantum-confined materials offer a more potent operational platform, wherein it only takes a little material, to get the job done. With such materials, you achieve smaller, lighter, yet robust and substantially efficient durable devices because the dimensions of quantum materials are too small (< 20 nm) to permit the bulk micromechanical processes of deformation and fracture thus improving their cycle life. 

The quantum material domain represents the least industrially explored, yet most desired realm of materials for advancing nanotechnology today. They also represent the most challenging set of materials to manufacture, let alone upscale, to cover industrial demand. NANOARC has overcome the hurdle and hence makes this offering of quantum-confined, atomically-architectured nanomaterials for the betterment of next generation battery technologies, with much thinner, lighter and less toxic material architectures.

As nanoadditives for lithium-ion batteries, quantum material  nanoparticles offer superfine size and very high specific surface areas (SSA) which allow for the nanoadditives to be well distributed throughout the cathode or anode, conferring extensive durability.

With the equation E= MC2, Einstein indicated that a small amount of mass is capable of releasing vast amounts of energy. The vast amounts of energy are released because they were already stored within the small material.

High energy density storage is not about volume but rather, material design at the quantum domain, which is close to the atomic scale. The atomic scale, is what makes nuclear energy, so powerful. Tapping into this high energy domain without the side effects of radioactive radiation, is what we now present to the energy storage system manufacturers.

QUANTUM PARTICLE SIZE MATTERS

A nanoparticle has to be able to prohibit the formation of grain boundaries. At a size of 10 nm, only one or two dislocations can fit inside a grain. In most materials this means nanoparticles well below 10 nm, as at larger nanoparticle sizes, secondary grain boundaries start to emerge. For example, in materials like SnOx, the critical size for grain boundary emergence is 7 nm.

Why Is This Size Critical?

Grain boundaries are two-dimensional defects in a crystal structure that tend to decrease the electrical & thermal conductivity of a material. Most grain boundaries are preferential sites for the onset of corrosion.

Grain boundaries are insurmountable borders for dislocations and the number of dislocations within a nanoparticle affects how stress builds up in the adjacent grain, eventually activating dislocation sources & thus enabling deformation in the neighbouring grain as well.

By reducing nanoparticle size, one can influence the number of dislocations piled up at the grain boundary and enhance its yield strength i.e. the maximum stress the nanoparticle tolerates before deformation begins.

An example of this critical size is seen with SnOx, which is the most explored anode material for batteries. With a bohr radius of ~ 2.7 nm it means quantum-confined SnOx with diameters below 5 nm would be most suitable for SnOx-based anodes for reinforced resistance to deformation/pulverisation & the provision of a significantly extensive battery life.