Redox-homogeneous, gel electrolyte-embedded high-mass-loading cathodes for high-energy lithium metal batteries.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 35534482.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-022-30112-1 and PMC identifier 9085813.
- 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
Lithium metal batteries have higher theoretical energy than their Li-ion counterparts, where graphite is used at the anode. However, one of the main stumbling blocks in developing practical Li metal batteries is the lack of cathodes with high-mass-loading capable of delivering highly reversible redox reactions. To overcome this issue, here we report an electrode structure that incorporates a UV-cured non-aqueous gel electrolyte and a cathode where the LiNi<sub>0.8</sub>Co<sub>0.1</sub>Mn<sub>0.1</sub>O<sub>2</sub> active material is contained in an electron-conductive matrix produced via simultaneous electrospinning and electrospraying. This peculiar structure prevents the solvent-drying-triggered non-uniform distribution of electrode components and shortens the time for cell aging while improving the overall redox homogeneity. Moreover, the electron-conductive matrix eliminates the use of the metal current collector. When a cathode with a mass loading of 60 mg cm<sup>-2</sup> is coupled with a 100 µm thick Li metal electrode using additional non-aqueous fluorinated electrolyte solution in lab-scale pouch cell configuration, a specific energy and energy density of 321 Wh kg<sup>-1</sup> and 772 Wh L<sup>-1</sup> (based on the total mass of the cell), respectively, can be delivered in the initial cycle at 0.1 C (i.e., 1.2 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>) and 25 °C.