A flexible electron-blocking interfacial shield for dendrite-free solid lithium metal batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33420065.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-20463-y and PMC identifier 7794502.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are considered to be the next-generation lithium-ion battery technology due to their enhanced energy density and safety. However, the high electronic conductivity of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) leads to Li dendrite nucleation and proliferation. Uneven electric-field distribution resulting from poor interfacial contact can further promote dendritic deposition and lead to rapid short circuiting of SSBs. Herein, we propose a flexible electron-blocking interfacial shield (EBS) to protect garnet electrolytes from the electronic degradation. The EBS formed by an in-situ substitution reaction can not only increase lithiophilicity but also stabilize the Li volume change, maintaining the integrity of the interface during repeated cycling. Density functional theory calculations show a high electron-tunneling energy barrier from Li metal to the EBS, indicating an excellent capacity for electron-blocking. EBS protected cells exhibit an improved critical current density of 1.2 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> and stable cycling for over 400 h at 1 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> (1 mAh cm<sup>-2</sup>) at room temperature. These results demonstrate an effective strategy for the suppression of Li dendrites and present fresh insight into the rational design of the SSE and Li metal interface.