Issue 23, 2018

Preventing lithium dendrite-related electrical shorting in rechargeable batteries by coating separator with a Li-killing additive

Abstract

Dendritic electrodeposition is an intrinsic feature of Li metal, and Li dendrite-related electrical shorting is a major cause of thermal runaway in Li metal batteries. In order to prevent such electrical shorting, a Li-killing layer consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles embedded in a porous Kynar polymer matrix is coated onto one side of a conventional Celgard separator and faced to the cathode. After filling with liquid electrolyte, the Kynar polymer swells to a gel while TiO2 serves as a Li-killer by reacting with the Li dendrites that penetrate through the separator. Additionally, the Li-killing layer increases the thermal dimensional stability of the separator, and the wettability, uptake and uphold of the liquid electrolyte. It is shown that a Li/Cu cell with the Li-killing layer does not undergo electrical shorting even if the Li metal is entirely plated onto the counter electrode, whereas an identical cell using a pristine separator rapidly experiences shorting. Moreover, the Li-killing layer increases the rate capability and capacity retention of a Li/LiNi0.80Mn0.10Co0.10O2 cell. Impedance analysis reveals that such improvements are attributed to increased electrolyte uptake and uphold, which consequently reduces the solid electrolyte interphase resistance and charger-transfer resistance.

Graphical abstract: Preventing lithium dendrite-related electrical shorting in rechargeable batteries by coating separator with a Li-killing additive

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
27 Mar 2018
Accepted
10 May 2018
First published
14 May 2018

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 10755-10760

Preventing lithium dendrite-related electrical shorting in rechargeable batteries by coating separator with a Li-killing additive

S. S. Zhang, X. Fan and C. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 10755 DOI: 10.1039/C8TA02804D

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