Scalable Templating Layers for Advanced Batteries

迫切需要电池技术的突破，以实现电动汽车的广泛采用和可再生能源的电网规模存储。使用锂(Li)金属负极的固态电池正在迅速崛起，有望获得更大的续航里程和充电速度，以及更高的安全性。然而，树枝晶的形成几乎普遍地损害了这些细胞，而且它们在现实的操作条件下很快就会失效。只有无机玻璃固体电解液(SE)才能以相应的速率“模板化”稳定的锂电镀/剥离。然而，由于这些SE需要高成本、低吞吐量的真空沉积技术，与大规模电池生产不相容，因此这些SE仍然没有得到充分的开发。这项研究计划的目的是设计一种新的可扩展的“模板层”家族，以实现高倍率固态电池。受真空沉积SE的启发--即所用SE的均匀、非晶态(玻璃)结构、电绝缘性质和非常平坦的形态--我们将使用低温、基于溶液的技术，这些技术可以实现这些关键属性，并且很容易扩展到与工业相关的水平。工程玻璃材料的一大挑战来自于它们固有的无序，这意味着原子结构、电化学性质和加工之间的关键关系通常仍然难以捉摸。一系列先进的表征方法，包括X射线散射、热解吸光谱和操作手成像，将揭示跨越材料到器件的新设计规则。这项研究的成果将对无序功能涂层的研究具有非常重要的价值，并将在储能方面产生广泛的影响，特别是在相关的电池化学、微电子和传感应用方面。

Breakthroughs in battery technologies are critically needed to enable the widespread adoption of electric vehicles and the grid-scale storage of renewable energy. Solid-state batteries using a lithium (Li) metal anode are rapidly emerging and promise greater range and charging speeds, as well as improved safety. However, dendrite formation almost universally compromises such cells, and they quickly fail under realistic operating conditions. Only inorganic glassy solid electrolyes (SEs) have shown the exceptional ability to "template" stable Li plating/stripping at relevant rates. However, these SEs remain underexplored as they require high-cost, low-throughput vacuum deposition techniques that are incompatible with large-scale battery production.The aim of this research proposal is to engineer a new family of scalable "templating layers" to enable high-rate solid-state batteries. Taking inspiration from vacuum-deposited SEs -- namely the homogeneous, non-crystalline (glass) structure, electrically insulating nature and very flat morphology of the SE used -- we will use low temperature, solution-based techniques that can realise these key attributes and be easily scaled-up to industrially relevant levels. A major challenge in engineering glassy materials stems from their inherent disorder, meaning the critical relationships between atomic structure, electrochemical properties and processing usually remain elusive. A suite of advanced characterisation methods, including X-ray scattering, thermal desorption spectroscopy and operando imaging, will uncover new design rules that span materials to devices. The outputs of this study will be invaluable for the study of disordered functional coatings and have wide impact in energy storage, especially to related battery chemistries, microelectronics and sensing applications.