Simplifying Electrode Design for Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Cells

ACS Appl. Energy Mater.

Zhang

Jin

et al. 2023

Self Cite

Lithium-ion batteries with aluminum anodes had appeared to resolve critical dendrite issues of lithium metal cells in the 1970s. However, the poor cycling performance attributed to aluminum anodes would lead to their obsolescence. In this work, we demonstrate how strategic thermal control in cycling aluminum anodes circumvents the problematic α/β phase transformations that yield poor cycling life. Instead, electrochemical formation of the Li 3 Al 2 and Li 2−x Al phases necessitates temperatures slightly above ambient, as the Li 3 Al 2 and Li 2−x Al phases are key enablers for high capacity and stable cycling. While delivering a competitive capacity level (ca. 1 Ah kg −1 -Al), cycling among those higher-order phases is found to be significantly improved, from several cycles to 100 cycles with ca. 67% capacity retention. Importantly, because modern battery charging is likely to occur above room temperature due to ohmic heating, the thermal conditions explored here are expected to be realized in a variety of applications. Furthermore, we show that elevated temperature is not necessary for aluminum anode delithiation, thus creating additional synergies with many practical scenarios.

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of Li-Rich Phases in Aluminum Anodes for Improved Cycling Performance through Strategic Thermal Control

ACS Appl. Energy Mater.

Zhang

Jin

et al. 2023

Self Cite

“…(b) A schematic illustration of LIB cells when conventional anodes are replaced by Al foil anodes. Reproduced from [10]. CC BY 4.0.…”

Section: Current Situation Of Libsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The concept of using foil anodes is to omit the usage of binders, Cu foils, etc., and to skip the mixing/baking steps. Not only can the material cost be reduced by occupying fewer chemicals/components, but also the multi-step nature of the anode fabrication can potentially be simplified [10]. When Cu foil no longer exists in LIB cells, its risk of being oxidized or even dissolved, which could lead to internal short-circuit at over-discharging states (e.g.…”

Section: Current Situation Of Libsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Al foil anodes, however, should be critically assessed due to the unique situation that they can potentially function as both active material and current collector. More importantly, the usage of Cu element can be completely omitted in the cell, leading to a roughly one-fifth reduction in material cost [132], while electrode manufacturing is expected to be simplified [10]. Cu is known to be a relatively dense metal with a density of 8.96 g cm −3 , which is about 3.3 times higher than that of Al.…”

Section: Origin Of Anomalous Performancesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Lithium aluminum alloy anodes in Li-ion rechargeable batteries: Past developments, recent progress, and future prospects

Boles

2023

Prog. Energy

Aluminum metal has long been known to function as an anode in lithium-ion batteries owing to its capacity, low potential, and effective suppression of dendrite growth. However, seemingly intrinsic degradation during cycling has made it less attractive throughout the years compared to graphitic carbon, silicon-blends, and more recently lithium metal itself. Nevertheless, with the recent unprecedented growth of the lithium-ion battery industry, this review aims to revisit aluminum as an anode material, particularly in light of important advancements in understanding the electrochemical lithium-aluminum system, as well as the growth of activity in solid-state batteries where cell designs may conveniently mitigate problems found in traditional liquid cells. Furthermore, this review culminates by highlighting several non-trivial points including: 1) Prelithiatied aluminum anodes, with β-LiAl serving as an intercalation host, can be effectively immortal, depending on formation and cycling conditions; 2) the common knowledge of aluminum having a capacity of 993 mAh g-1 is inaccurate and attributed to kinetic limitations, thus silicon and lithium should not stand alone as the only ‘high-capacity’ candidates in the roadmap for future lithium-ion cells; 3) replacement of Cu current collectors with Al-based foil anodes may simplify lithium-ion battery manufacturing and has important safety implications due to the galvanic stability of Al at high potentials vs. Li/Li+. Irrespective of the type of Li-ion device of interest, this review may be useful for those in the broader community to enhance their understanding of general alloy anode behavior, as the methodologies reported here can be extended to non-Al anodes and consequently, even to Na-ion and K-ion devices.

“…With an Al anode, the heat generated during the charge due to internal resistance may already be sufficient to facilitate the formation of Li3Al2 and Li2-xAl phases. The practical implementation concerns of these high-order phases are elaborated in Supporting Information, in which prelithiation 18 and N-to-P ratio are discussed.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Unlocking the High Capacity and Stability of Aluminum Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries through Strategic Thermal Control

Zhang

Jin

et al. 2022

Preprint

Lithium-ion batteries with aluminum anodes had appeared to resolve critical dendrite issues of lithium metal cells in the 1970s. However, the poor cycling attributed to aluminum anodes would lead to their obsolescence. In this work, we demonstrate how strategic thermal control circumvents the problematic α/β phase transformations. The electrochemical formation of Li3Al2 and Li2-xAl, which necessitates temperatures slightly above ambient, are the key enablers for high capacity and stable cycling. While delivering a competitive capacity level (ca. 1 Ah kg-1-Al), those higher-order phases exhibit significantly improved cycling behaviors, from a few cycles to one hundred cycles with ca. 67% capacity retention. Since modern battery charging is likely to occur above ambient due to ohmic heating, the thermal conditions explored here are likely to be realized in a variety of applications. Importantly, this elevated temperature is not necessary for aluminum anode delithiation, thus creating additional synergies with many practical scenarios.