High-Safety All-Solid-State Lithium-Metal Battery with High-Ionic-Conductivity Thermoresponsive Solid Polymer...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Lithium-metal batteries (LMBs) offer high energy density but face challenges in ionic conductivity and safety.
• Current limitations hinder the widespread adoption of LMB technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a high-safety all-solid-state lithium-metal battery.
• To introduce a thermoresponsive solid-polymer electrolyte (TSPE) for enhanced safety and performance.
• To achieve thermally induced autonomic shutdown in lithium-metal batteries.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a novel thermoresponsive solid-polymer electrolyte (TSPE).
• Integration of TSPE into all-solid-state lithium-metal battery configurations.
• Electrochemical characterization, including ionic conductivity, capacity, rate capability, and cycle life testing.

Main Results:

• The developed TSPE demonstrated high ionic conductivity (2 × 10^-4 S cm^-1 at 30 °C).
• All-solid-state Li||LiFePO₄ batteries exhibited improved capacity (160 mA h g^-1 at 0.2 C) and high rate capability up to 5 C.
• Exceptional cycle life exceeding 400 cycles was achieved, alongside effective thermal shutdown functionality.

Conclusions:

• The novel TSPE enables intelligent thermal management and autonomic shutdown in all-solid-state lithium-metal batteries.
• This approach significantly enhances battery safety by inhibiting ionic conduction at unsafe temperatures.
• The study presents a promising pathway for fabricating self-protective, high-performance solid-state batteries.