New Coating for Lithium Metal Batteries Brings A Boon for Electric Vehicles

A newly invented coating of lithium metal batteries that overcomes some of the batteries' defects and could make the lightweight batteries safe and long-lasting, according to foreign media reports. This study is led by a team of researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and the paper was published in Joule on August 26, which will lead the birth of the next generation of electric vehicles.

In laboratory tests, the coating significantly extended the battery's lifespan, and it also addresses the combustion problem by greatly limiting the tiny needlelike structures that pierce the separator between the battery's positive and negative sides.

The researchers point out that lithium metal batteries are at least one-third more energy per pound than lithium-ion batteries and are very light because they use lightweight lithium as the positively charged end rather than heavier graphite. If metal lithium batteries are more reliable, from laptops to mobile phones, these portable electronic products can benefit, but the real source of income will be cars. The biggest resistance of electric vehicles is that batteries account for a quarter of the cost, which touches the core issue of electric vehicle production costs.

The capacity of traditional lithium-ion batteries has reached its limits, so it is critical to developing new batteries to meet the high energy density requirements of modern electronic devices.

Stanford University and SLAC's research team tested their coatings on a positive end of a standard lithium metal battery (called the anode), which is where dendrites typically form. In the end, they combined the specially coated anodes with other commercially available components to create a fully operational battery. After 160 cycles of use, their lithium metal cells still delivered 85% of the power that they did in their first cycle. Ordinary lithium metal cells will only release about 30% of power after that many cycles, even if they do not explode, they are nearly useless.

This new coating prevents dendrites from forming by creating a molecules network that delivers charged lithium ions to the electrode uniformly. It prevents unwanted chemical reactions in these cells and reduces the accumulation of chemicals on the anode to prevent them from damaging the battery's ability to supply power.

The research team is currently refining its coating design to test batteries and increase capacity retention over more cycles. This progress in lithium metal batteries will lead to the revolution of electric vehicles.

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