Advanced materials for structural batteries

• Main Author: Nur Ayu Afira Binte Sutrisnoh
• Other Authors: Madhavi Srinivasan
• Format: Thesis-Doctor of Philosophy
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2025
• Subjects: Engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182373
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Structural batteries are a new multifunctional concept of rechargeable batteries that can simultaneously store electrochemical energy and carry mechanical load. With the shift towards vehicle electrification, state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries suffer from low specific energy due to parasitic weight from its structural components. Multifunctional structural batteries offer significant mass savings to improve the overall efficiency and specific energy of electric vehicles. However, the performance of current multifunctional structural batteries is still far from ideal, especially for structural cathodes, where its research is still in infancy. In this thesis, the main challenges towards fabrication and optimizing the multifunctional performance of structural cathodes are addressed. Structural cathode engineering strategies including the possibility of surface activation of carbon fibers are studied. Fundamental investigation to bridge the gap between intrinsic properties of carbon fibers and cathode materials to resultant performance of structural cathodes are thoroughly probed, in both electrochemical and mechanical aspect. Through this, the major factors influencing the multifunctional performance of structural cathodes are identified. As such, an optimized structural cathode with excellent specific capacity (155 mAh g-1 at 1 C) and superior mechanical performance (stiffness of 72 GPa) that outperforms current reported multifunctional structural cathodes is developed. Correlation studies between the electrochemical and mechanical functions of structural cathodes are also assessed before an attempt to assemble a full structural battery using the optimized structural cathode is made. The significant findings from this thesis, including the proposed future works, can act as a guide for further research and innovation of structural batteries beyond vehicle electrification.