Solid-state lithium batteries are a tantalizing technology for their high energy density and notable safety benefits. These batteries have higher capacity than the liquid-electrolyte lithium batteries currently on the market, and unlike those batteries, they won’t explode if they overheat.
In their current form, however, they can short and catch fire due to the growth of dendrites that can form between the anode and cathode. Controlling these dendrites is one of the key challenges to bringing solid lithium batteries to the market.
Now, researchers may have found a way to do so. By embedding the anode with silicon particles, Harvard Univ. materials scientist Xin Li and his colleagues were able to control the dendrite reaction, preventing lithium ions from penetrating beyond the shallow surface of the anode. This design allows the battery to withstand a high current density and multiple charge-discharge cycles, Li says.
“It can do a very fast charge and discharge within a few minutes, and it can do this repeatedly for 6,000 cycles,” he says.
Dendrite growth occurs because lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode when the battery charges; however, they...
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