Development of safe and high-energy all-solid-state lithium-sulfur and sodium-sulfur batteries

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According to the 2015 Paris Agreement, the need for urgent and more intensive actions against climate change is broadly recognized to constrain the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C. The replacement of the internal combustion engine (ICE)-based vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) is a major step toward this goal. The report of 2020 World Economic Forum (WEF) and Global Battery Alliance demonstrates that batteries as a key component in the development of EVs could enable 30% of the required reductions in CO2 emissions in the transportation and power sectors, providing electricity access to 600 million people who currently have no access, and meanwhile creating 10 million safe and sustainable jobs around the world. Liquid electrolyte based rechargeable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the prevailing choice for the current EVs. However, these LIBs still suffer from two main issues: (1) flammable liquid electrolytes with safety concerns and (2) limited energy densities for long-range EVs. Accordingly, all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs) have emerged as highly feasible alternatives for high safety and high energy density. In particular, all solid-state lithium-sulfur (Li-S) and sodium-sulfur (Na-S) batteries (ASSLSBs and ASSNSBs) have promising theoretical energy densities, which is 3-5 times that of LIBs. Dr. Li proposes to develop next-generation ASSLSBs and ASSNSBs. The objective of this program is to design and fabricate the key battery materials and interfacial materials to meet the requirement of safe and high-energy ASSL(N)SBs with a target of 400 Wh kg-1 for the application in EVs. This innovative research program will take full advantage of Dr. Li's expertise in nanomaterials fabrication and characterization for batteries. This research aims to develop promising sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes and sulfur cathode materials to address the challenges in safety, energy density, and lifespan of the ASSL(N)SBs. An important aspect is to apply advanced characterization techniques, such as synchrotron based X-ray techniques, to give insights into the correlation of synthesis, structure, and performance of battery materials and to foster the design of advanced materials for ASSL(N)SBs. These are important steps to meet future automotive requirements for ASSL(N)SBs. Successful completion of the proposed program will significantly benefit Canada's scientific, industrial, and social development by transferring new knowledge, expertise and technologies. Furthermore, this initiative will accelerate the commercialization of ASSL(N)SBs technology while simultaneously training high-quality personnel (HQP) and alleviating environmental pollution.