Engineering lithiophilic Ni-Al@LDH interlayers on a garnet-type electrolyte for solid-state lithium metal batteries

Multiple uniform lithium-ion transport channels in Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12/Ce(OH)3 modified polypropylene composite separator for high-performance lithium metal batteries

Lithium (Li) metal anodes (LMAs) are regarded as leading technology for advanced-generation batteries due to their high theoretical capacity and favorable redox potential. However, the practical integration of LMAs into high-energy rechargeable batteries is hindered by the challenge of Li dendrite growth. In this work, nanoparticles of Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 (LLZTO) loaded with Ce(OH)3 (LLZTCO) were designed and synthesized by a hydrothermal method. A functional composite separator was crafted by coating one side of a polypropylene (PP) separator with a composite electrolyte comprised of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and LLZTCO. The synergistic interactions between PVDF and LLZTCO provide numerous rapid lithium-ion (Li+) channels, facilitating the efficient redistribution of disparate Li+ flux originating from the insulated PP separator. The composite separator demonstrated an ionic conductivity (σ) of 3.68 × 10-3 S cm-1, substantial Li+ transference number (t+) of 0.73, and a high electrochemical window of 4.8 V at 25℃. Furthermore, the Li/LLZTCO@PP/Li symmetric cells demonstrated stable cycling for over 2000 h without significant dendrite formation. The Li/LiFePO4 (LFP) cells assembled with LLZTCO@PP separators exhibited a capacity retention of 91.6 % after 400 cycles at 1C. This study offers a practical approach to fabricating composite separators with enhanced safety and superior electrochemical performance.

Structural tuning of copper sulfide material for sodium-ion batteries

In this work, single-crystal and twin-crystal copper sulfide materials are constructed in a regulatable and controlled manner. Twin boundaries are engineered into the copper sulphide material to significantly improve its electrochemical performance. The results demonstrate that structure tuning with twin crystals is an effective strategy for enhancing electrochemical reactions, and also sheds light on the design of electrode materials for sodium ion storage.

High-Performance Composite Lithium Anodes Enabled by Electronic/Ionic Dual-Conductive Paths for Solid-State Li Metal Batteries

Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) promise high energy density and high safety by employing high-capacity Li metal anode and solid-state electrolytes. However, the construction of the composite Li metal electrode is a neglected but important subject when the extensive research focuses on the interface between the solid electrolyte Li_6.4 La₃ Zr_1.4 Ta_0.6 O₁₂ and Li metal anode. Here, an electronic-ionic conducting composite Li metal anode consisting of Li-Al alloy and LiF is constructed to achieve the stable electronic-ionic transport channel and the intimate interface contact, which can realize the uniform Li deposition and the efficiency utilization of lithium in composite Li metal electrode. Therefore, the symmetric battery with composite Li metal electrode exhibits the high critical current density with 1.2 mA cm^-2 and stable cycle for 1500 h at 0.3 mA cm^-2 , 25 °C. Moreover, the SSLMBs matched with LiFePO₄ and LiNi_0.8 Co_0.1 Mn_0.1 O₂ achieve the outstanding electrochemical performance, verifying the feasibility of composite Li metal electrode in various SSLMBs systems.