Dr. Brian Landi, RIT
Dr. Brian J. Landi is an assistant professor of chemical engineering and graduate faculty of microsystems engineering and sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). His research is conducted in the NanoPower Research Laboratories (NPRL) as part of RIT’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability. He has worked as a researcher at the Schering Plough Research Institute, Mayo Clinic, and NASA Glenn Research Center. Dr. Landi has recently been involved with carbon nanotube purity assessment as well as engaging in the synthesis and application of carbon nanotubes for power transmission and storage devices like advanced wires and lithium ion batteries. He has co-authored over 65 publications and has four patents pending. He earned a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Microsystems Engineering from R.I.T.
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising material for lithium ion batteries due to a unique set of electrochemical and mechanical properties. The incorporation of CNTs as a conductive additive in an electrode composite presents an effective strategy to establish an electrical percolation network which can improve charge rate and cyclability. Also, the capability for CNTs to be assembled into free-standing electrodes (absent of any binder or current collector) is a transformative development as an active electrode as well as a physical support for ultra high capacity anode materials like silicon or germanium. The measured reversible lithium ion capacities for CNT-based anodes have exceeded 1200 mAh/g, with higher rate capability than conventional graphite anodes. Such results translate into a potential CNT-based battery with an increase in specific energy density by more than 50% while maintaining rates greater than 1C.