Dissertation Defence: Lithium-Tin Binary Alloy-Based Anodes for Liquid and Solid-State Lithium Batteries
May 4 at 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Amardeep Amardeep, supervised by Dr. Jian Liu, will defend their dissertation titled “Lithium-Tin Binary Alloy-Based Anodes for Liquid and Solid-State Lithium Batteries” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering.
An abstract for Amardeep Amardeep’s dissertation is included below.
Examinations are open to all members of the campus community as well as the general public. Registration is not required for in-person exams.
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have established the top spot among energy storage devices and have revolutionized portable electronics, laptops, communication systems, electric vehicles, and smart grids. However, the range anxiety of LIBs for crucial applications, such as medical implants, space exploration, military applications, and long-range transportation, has been a significant bottleneck. Therefore, the development of high-energy-density batteries has become necessary. Lithium metal batteries (LMBs) have attracted attention owing to lithium (Li) metal’s high specific capacity (3860 mAh/g) and its lowest redox potential (-3.14 V vs. standard hydrogen electrode), which promise high energy density. Despite their excellent merits, LMBs failed to capitalize on the commercialization opportunity due to the challenges associated with Li metal. Among various disadvantages of Li metal, for example, uncontrolled reactivity with electrolyte, low Coulombic efficiency, dead Li formation, etc., Li dendrite formation poses the utmost safety threat caused by sluggish Li diffusivity, leading to heterogeneous electric field generation-cum-uneven Li deposition/dissolution at the electrode/electrolyte interface.
To tackle the above-mentioned challenges associated with Li metal, this Ph.D. study developed Li-Sn alloy-based anodes: a Li-Sn alloy-protected Li metal anode and a Li-Sn alloy particle distributed bulk Li metal anode. The high Li diffusivity of Li-Sn intermetallics facilitates a more uniform distribution of Li at the electrode/electrolyte interface, leading to a more uniform electric field across the interface and suppressing Li dendrite formation, thereby increasing battery life and safety. Two different synthesis processes were adopted: a chemical reduction process to synthesize the Li-Sn-based protective layer, and a direct metallurgy process to synthesize the Li-Sn particle-distributed bulk electrode. The applicability of Li-Sn alloy-based electrodes was verified by constructing symmetric and full cells using a liquid electrolyte, and superior electrochemical performance was obtained compared to a bare Li metal electrode. Simultaneously, a Li-Sn alloy particle-distributed bulk Li metal electrode demonstrated a reduced creep rate and increased modulus, indicating its suitability for all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). ASSB was fabricated using a Li-Sn alloy-based bulk electrode, and its performance was analyzed to evaluate its suitability for solid-electrolyte-based batteries, indicating that it is a universal electrode material suited for both liquid and solid electrolyte systems.
