Development of 3D hybrid electrolytes and nanostructured electrodes for scalable manufacturing of new-generation high-energy density solid-state lithium batteries

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Li-ion batteries (LIBs) are the "invisible" technology that enabled the tremendous proliferation of mobile electronics and more recently the commercialization of electric vehicles. Additionally, LIBs find increasing use in storage of electricity generated from intermitting renewable sources like solar. These batteries however suffer from an inherent safety vulnerability due to the use of flammable organic solvent electrolytes hence some recent spectacular catastrophic incidents with smart phones, cars and even airplanes. At the same time the energy density of current state LIBs is rather limited to meet the demand for more packaged power. It is the energy density of a battery pack for example that determines the driving range of an electric car before it requires recharging. While we can make these battery packs bigger and bigger this is rather counterproductive because of cost and weight/volume hence we need to develop new generation batteries that will be safe and with high energy density at reasonable cost. In this context, it is widely accepted that building solid-state lithium batteries incorporating a solid electrolyte, Li metal as anode, and a high-voltage cathode by far offers the best option to achieve this goal. Such development however is hampered by a number of challenges as are the design of a solid electrolyte that can have good ionic conductivity at room-T and low resistance at the interface with the Li metal anode and the cathode. Another big challenge is to prevent the Li metal anode for growing so-called dendrites (sort of tree-like extensions) that can lead to battery failure by penetrating through the electrolyte. But solving these problems has to be done in a way that allows for scalable manufacturing at competitive cost. To this end our team in collaboration with Hydro-Quebec, a world leader in LIB R&D, proposes to design and develop a new composite electrolyte made of a porous ceramic framework filled with electrochemically stable conducting polymer and interfaced with a novel nano engineered anode and a high-voltage cathode. The proposed research constitutes an original approach with great innovative potential for major technological breakthroughs leading to advanced manufacturing activity in a fast growing market.