6. Lithium metal anodes (fast as snails?!)

Faster Li plating through LLZO solid electrolytes. Latest from the Sakamoto group.
LLZO solid electrolyte pelltet. Easy to work with in small areas. But how can large, thin sheets be made for commercial applications?

Paper link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378775318306529

Sakamoto group page: https://sakamoto.engin.umich.edu/people/

News article: https://news.umich.edu/battery-breakthrough-doubling-performance-with-lithium-metal-that-doesnt-catch-fire/

Plating lithium metal anodes through inorganic solid electrolytes is challenging and slow due to proliferation of dendrites along the grain boundary where ionic conductivity is higher. Sakamoto’s group shares evidence of rate improvements without dendritic growth with LLZO solid electrolytes. 

One thought on “6. Lithium metal anodes (fast as snails?!)

  1. Thank you for your informative series. One issue I have regarding your discussion of propagation of Li dendrites through LLZO is that you claim that it is due to higher ionic conductivity along grain boundaries (GB’s) than through the bulk of the grain. Actually, the majority of data shows that ionic conductivity is LOWER at GB’s than through the bulk. While the jury is out on the actual causes and mechanisms, the picture emerging for Li propagation is that Li metal prefers to travel along defects, such as small cracks and GB’s, during cycling. Even though Li metal is much softer than LLZO by orders of magnitude, the pressures induced during cycling are enough to cause fracture at these defects. The metal then travels along defects, perhaps as molten Li because of Joule heating; essentially, LLZO is a heat insulator, and Li has a relatively low melting temperature. During cycling, the heat generated is trapped at the Li. It melts and travels along these ever-growing defects.

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