Nano/composite materials for lithium-ion batteries

Clean energy conversion and storage are very important for us if we hope to conquer the problems of both global warming and the exhaustion of fossil fuels [1]. One of the most important kinds of energy devices is LI-ion battery, which has been proposed to be the best choice for the EVs or HEVs. Lithium-ion batteries show high energy density but relatively low power density. In order to improve the performance of this system, the key point is to improve the performance of the electrodes, as the electrodes are the places where the electrochemical reactions occur. the electrons flow through the external circuit outside the batteries, while the Li ions flow inside the batteries to allow the electrochemical reactions to take place. Therefore, both electronic conductivity and ionic conductivity play important roles in the electrochemical performance. The purpose of this chapter is to discuss possible ways to improve this performance via the use of conductive composites and nanotechnology to provide possible opportunities for the future research directions.