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Focused Ion Beam Fabrication of LiPON-based Solid-state Lithium-ion Nanobatteries for In Situ Testing
Published on: March 7, 2018
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Stable Lithium Plating and Stripping Enabled by a LiPON Nanolayer on PP Separator
Yuncong Pang1, Min Guan1, Yilan Pan1
1School of Materials and Energy, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|June 2, 2022
Summary
A novel separator coating enhances lithium metal anode stability by preventing dendrite growth and improving efficiency. This breakthrough promises safer, longer-lasting lithium metal batteries for practical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Lithium metal anodes (LMA) are crucial for high-energy-density batteries but suffer from low coulombic efficiency and dendrite formation.
- Solid-state electrolytes offer interfacial stability but face challenges with workability and ionic conductivity.
- Existing solutions struggle to balance electrolyte transport with anode protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a modified separator that combines the benefits of liquid and solid-state electrolytes for stable LMA cycling.
- To create a robust interface between the LMA and the electrolyte that is ionically conductive and mechanically stable.
- To demonstrate the practical viability of the modified separator in lithium metal batteries.
Main Methods:
- Coating a nanolayer of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (LiPON) onto a polypropylene separator using scalable magnetron sputtering.
- Characterizing the LiPON-coated separator's interface for Li+ conductivity, electron insulation, and mechanical/chemical stability.
- Testing Li|Li symmetric cells and Li|LiFePO4 full cells under various current densities and cycling conditions.
Main Results:
- The LiPON-coated separator facilitates rapid Li+ transport while maintaining an electron-insulating and stable interface.
- Li|Li cells exhibited stable, dendrite-free cycling for over 2000 hours with low overpotentials (10 mV at 1 mA/cm², 40 mV at 5 mA/cm²).
- Li|LiFePO4 full cells demonstrated excellent performance with 92% capacity retention after 550 cycles.
Conclusions:
- The LiPON-coated separator effectively addresses key challenges hindering LMA practical application.
- This scalable coating method is compatible with current Li-ion battery production, paving the way for advanced energy storage.
- The developed technology shows significant potential for realizing high-performance and safe lithium metal batteries.
