Interface chemistry of an amide electrolyte for highly reversible lithium metal batteries

Metallic lithium is a promising anode to increase the energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries. Despite extensive efforts, detrimental reactivity of lithium metal with electrolytes and uncontrolled dendrite growth remain challenging interconnected issues hindering highly reversible Li-metal batteries. Herein, we report a rationally...

Doubling Reversible Capacities in Epitaxial Li ₄ Ti ₅ O ₁₂ Thin Film Anodes for Microbatteries

Despite the lower gravimetric capacity, Li ₄ Ti ₅ O ₁₂ is an important alternative to graphite anodes, owing to its excellent high temperature stability, high rate capability, and negligible volume change. Although surfaces with lithium compositions exceeding Li ₇ Ti ₅ O ₁₂...

Efficient Li-Metal Plating/Stripping in Carbonate Electrolytes Using a LiNO₃-Gel Polymer Electrolyte, Monitored by Operando Neutron Depth Profiling

The development of safe and high-performance Li-metal anodes is crucial to meet the demanded increase in energy density of batteries. However, severe reactivity of Li metal with typical electrolytes and dendrite formation leads to a poor cycle life and safety concerns. Therefore, it is essential to develop electrolytes that passivate the...

Spatiotemporal Quantification of Lithium both in Electrode and in Electrolyte with Atomic Precision via Operando Neutron Absorption

The commercial uptake of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is undermined by their rapid performance decay and short cycle life. These problems originate from the dissolution of lithium polysulfide in liquid electrolytes, causing charge and active material to shuttle between electrodes. The dynamics of intractable polysulfide migration at...

Operando Neutron Depth Profiling to Determine the Spatial Distribution of Li in Li-ion Batteries

Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP) allows determination of the spatial distribution of specific isotopes, via neutron capture reactions. In a capture reaction charged particles with fixed kinetic energy are formed, where their energy loss through the material of interest can be used to provide the depth of the original isotope. As lithium-6 has a...

Operando monitoring the lithium spatial distribution of lithium metal anodes

Electrical mobility demands an increase of battery energy density beyond current lithium-ion technology. A crucial bottleneck is the development of safe and reversible lithium-metal anodes, which is challenged by short circuits caused by lithium-metal dendrites and a short cycle life owing to the reactivity with electrolytes. The evolution of...

Relating the 3D electrode morphology to Li-ion battery performance; a case for LiFePO₄

One of the main goals in lithium ion battery electrode design is to increase the power density. This requires insight in the relation between the complex heterogeneous microstructure existing of active material, conductive additive and electrolyte providing the required electronic and Li-ion transport. FIB-SEM is used to determine the three...