A Self-Healing Amalgam Interface in Metal Batteries.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Metal batteries face challenges with dendrite growth and high interfacial resistance, limiting their practical use.
• Developing stable and safe metal anodes is crucial for next-generation energy storage solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a universal strategy for fabricating self-healing metal anodes compatible with ceramic and glass-phase electrolytes.
• To investigate the interfacial properties and electrochemical performance of amalgam-metal anodes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of amalgam-metal anodes (Li, Na, Zn, Al, Mg).
• Evaluation of anode performance in symmetric cells.
• Analysis of interfacial compatibility with lanthanum lithium titanate and glass-phase solid-state electrolytes.
• Investigation of the in situ regenerated amalgam interface and its phase transition behavior.

Main Results:

• Amalgam-metal anodes demonstrated extended cycle life in symmetric cell configurations.
• Liquid lithium amalgam exhibited complete wetting with specified electrolytes.
• Improved interfacial compatibility and reduced anode/electrolyte impedance were observed due to the dual-conductive amalgam interface.
• The lithium-amalgam interface displayed reversible solid-liquid phase transitions at room temperature, enabling self-healing.

Conclusions:

• The proposed amalgam strategy offers a facile and universal method for creating self-healing metal anodes.
• This approach significantly enhances the stability and safety of metal batteries by mitigating dendrite formation and improving interfacial properties.
• The self-healing mechanism via reversible phase transition holds promise for advancing high-performance metal battery technologies.