All-solid-state batteries designed for operation under extreme cold conditions.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Conventional lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) face performance limitations in extreme cold due to liquid electrolytes.
• All-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) present a viable alternative for low-temperature energy storage applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate ASSBs utilizing amorphous solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) for reliable operation under extreme cold conditions.
• To investigate the electrochemical performance of these ASSBs at sub-zero temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ASSBs employing amorphous SSEs (xLi3N-TaCl5) with LiCoO2 positive and Li-In negative electrodes.
• Electrochemical testing of ASSBs at various low temperatures (-10°C to -60°C) under different current densities.
• Long-term cycling stability assessment at sub-zero temperatures.

Main Results:

• The developed ASSBs demonstrated significant discharge capacities at -10°C (183.19 mAh g⁻¹), -30°C (164.8 mAh g⁻¹), and -40°C (143.78 mAh g⁻¹) at 18 mA g⁻¹.
• Excellent capacity retention was observed, with 137.6 mAh g⁻¹ at -30°C after 100 cycles and sustained operation at -60°C for over 200 hours.
• Initial discharge capacity of 51.94 mAh g⁻¹ was achieved at -60°C and 18 mA g⁻¹.

Conclusions:

• Amorphous SSEs based on xLi3N-TaCl5 enable robust ASSB performance in extreme cold environments.
• The developed ASSBs show great potential for applications requiring reliable energy storage at very low temperatures.
• This research contributes to advancing battery technology for challenging operational conditions.