Scalable Templating Layers for Advanced Batteries

为了实现电动汽车的广泛采用和可再生能源的电网规模存储，迫切需要电池技术的突破。使用锂（Li）金属阳极的固态电池正在迅速兴起，有望实现更大的续航里程和充电速度，并提高安全性。然而，树突的形成几乎普遍危及这些细胞，并且它们在实际操作条件下很快失效。只有无机玻璃固体电解质（SEs）显示出以相关速率“模板”稳定镀锂/剥离的卓越能力。然而，由于需要高成本、低通量的真空沉积技术，这些技术仍未得到充分开发，与大规模电池生产不兼容。这项研究计划的目的是设计一个新的可扩展的“模板层”系列，以实现高速率的固态电池。从真空沉积的SE中获得灵感，即SE的均匀，非结晶（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，可以实现这些关键属性，并且很容易扩展到工业相关水平。工程玻璃材料的一个主要挑战源于其固有的无序性，这意味着原子结构、电化学性能和加工之间的关键关系通常仍然难以捉摸。一套先进的表征方法，包括x射线散射、热解吸光谱和operando成像，将揭示跨越材料到设备的新设计规则。本研究的成果将对无序功能涂层的研究具有宝贵的价值，并在能量存储，特别是相关的电池化学，微电子和传感应用方面具有广泛的影响。

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.