These structures grow like roots into the electrolyte and pierce the barrier separating the anode and cathode, causing the battery to short or even catch fire. When the anode is made of lithium metal, needle-like structures called dendrites form on the surface. Lithium batteries move lithium ions from the cathode to the anode during charging. The big challenge with lithium-metal batteries has always been chemistry. “By studying their fundamental thermodynamics, we can unlock superior performance and harness their abundant opportunities.” “Our research shows that the solid-state battery could be fundamentally different from the commercial liquid electrolyte lithium-ion battery,” said Li. Associate Professor Xin Li and his team have designed a stable, lithium-metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 10,000 times. With its high current density, the battery could pave the way for electric vehicles that can fully charge within 10 to 20 minutes. This battery technology could increase the lifetime of electric vehicles to that of the gasoline cars - 10 to 15 years - without the need to replace the battery. The researchers paired the new design with a commercial high energy density cathode material. Now, Li and his team have designed a stable, lithium-metal, solid-state battery that can be charged and discharged at least 10,000 times - far more cycles than have been previously demonstrated - at a high current density. “But the stability of these batteries has always been poor.” Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). “A lithium-metal battery is considered the holy grail for battery chemistry because of its high capacity and energy density,” said Xin Li, associate professor of materials science at the Harvard John A. Long-lasting, quick-charging batteries are essential to the expansion of the electric vehicle market, but today’s lithium-ion batteries fall short of what’s needed - they’re too heavy, too expensive and take too long to charge.įor decades, researchers have tried to harness the potential of solid-state, lithium-metal batteries, which hold substantially more energy in the same volume and charge in a fraction of the time compared to traditional lithium-ion batteries.
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