The Electrochemical Performance of Thin-film Lithium Metal Anode with Solid-state (Hybrid Polymer) Electrolytes

The performance of Li-ion batteries has significantly increased over the last decade, thanks to the immense R&D invested and rapid adoption of electric mobility. However, conventional Li-ion batteries with intercalation chemistry have reached the maximum theoretical capacity possible. To suffice for the exponentially rising demand for fast and easy energy storage, newer materials must be utilized to replace the limited materials in current battery technology. Today’s batteries exclusively contain a graphite anode with a low theoretical capacity because of its non-reactive dead carbon. To solve this, it was realized that pure metal electrodes such as lithium metal provide 10 times more theoretical specific capacity than graphite ones, leading to a higher energy density Li-ion battery. Instead of intercalation as in the case of graphite anodes, Li-Metal anode stores and releases lithium by electrodeposition and depleting. However, lithium is highly reactive and unstable. Among critical issues such as filament formation, side reactions, and electron accumulation at current collectors, the major issue is the formation of lithium dendrites that are eventually responsible for the death of a cell. So, various strategies are being studied to suppress these dendrites. One such method is using surface protective coatings. This study aims to verify the use of coatings over lithium films and the extent of their protection for Lithium anodes consequently enabling their usage in future solid-state batteries. Along with experimenting with thin-film lithium, this study also attempts to elucidate the benefits of several other changes to the battery architecture including electrolyte and cathode thereby discussing a new generation of battery materials.