CEA is a French government-funded technological research organization. With more than 15,000 researchers and co-workers, its activities cover four main areas: Energy, Defence & security, Health & information technologies, and Fundamental research. Two Institutes from CEA both located on the CEA Grenoble centre are involved in the Sintbat project. CEA-INAC is a fundamental research institute (420 people) involved in nanoscience, while CEA-LITEN is a technological research institute (1,000 people) specialized on energy R&D (fuel cell, batteries, biomass, and solar application).

CEA-INAC develops expertise in advanced characterization on the Nanocharacterisation platform, a large facility devoted to up-to-date electron microscopy, spectroscopy and NMR on the Minatec campus of Grenoble. INAC also manages X-rays beam line at ESRF facility and ILL neutron reactor. For many years, CEA-INAC has developed strong knowledge in LIB investigation and in particular for Si based electrodes. The Nanocharacterisation facility not only provides access to high tech equipment with experienced staff, but also develops new characterisation methods to add to its portfolio.

 The Laboratory for Innovation in New Energy Technologies and Nanomaterials (CEA-LITEN) has a unit dedicated to energy for transport application (Department of Electricity, Hydrogen and Transport, DEHT) which has more than 15 years experiences in new materials for Li-ion batteries. Today, this entity is equipped with a dry room of 300 m² dedicated to Li-ion batteries prototyping from the electrode material up to the cell and more than 600 m² dedicated to Li-ion module and pack system development. CEA-LITEN intellectual properties portfolio on Li-ion batteries is more than 100 on the topics of material synthesis, battery architecture, and BMS.

Main tasks within Sintbat:

• CEA-INAC will provided advanced characterization methods to investigate post mortem and operando Si based electrodes and positive aqueous electrodes. Focus will be devoted to aging process for a better understanding and improvement of the electrodes life.
• CEA-LITEN will work on the development of advanced functional materials: silicon electrode prelithiated; and the method to make this prelithiation at the cell level. Since 10 years, CEA works on the research and development of Li-ion cell based of silicon material at the anode, at the material, electrode and cell level. A first Li-ion cell, the EnerSi 250®, was already transferred to a start-up, Prollion, in 2011, for a beckon swatch commercialized by Breitling.