UC Merced

Improved electrochemical devices are needed to satisfy the growing demand for more sustainable and efficient energy sources for various industrial electronic products. Lithium-ion batteries are one of the top candidates, but this technology faces many challenges to meet specific engineering requirements for consumer devices. Chapter I describes the synthesis of lithium-ion micro-batteries via lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE), which would allow future studies to fundamentally characterize electrochemical reactions at the electrode surface level while charging and discharging via in-situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). Chapter II critically assesses the potential of lithium-ion batteries to replace lead acid batteries in vehicular low voltage systems, which an emphasis on the key material characteristics of both platforms, including self-discharging and power performance at low temperature. A cost analysis of each system is also described.