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Breakthrough in Battery Technology: Progress on Fast-Charging Lithium-Metal Batteries
Scitech Daily ^ | FEBRUARY 9, 2023 | By UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

Posted on 02/09/2023 1:26:06 PM PST by Red Badger

Advanced Battery Technology Breakthrough

A team of engineers has made a significant advancement toward the development of fast-charging lithium-metal batteries, according to a recent paper published in Nature Energy. These batteries are capable of charging in as little as an hour, thanks to the growth of uniform lithium metal crystals that can be rapidly seeded on a surprising surface. This innovative technology holds great promise for the future of energy storage.

In a new Nature Energy paper, engineers report progress toward lithium-metal batteries that charge fast – as fast as an hour. This fast charging is thanks to lithium metal crystals that can be seeded and grown – quickly and uniformly – on a surprising surface. The trick is to use a crystal growing surface that lithium officially doesn’t “like.” From these seed crystals grow dense layers of uniform lithium metal. Uniform layers of lithium metal are of great interest to battery researchers because they lack battery-performance-degrading spikes called dendrites. The formation of these dendrites in battery anodes is a longstanding roadblock to fast-charging ultra-energy-dense lithium-metal batteries.

This new approach, led by University of California San Diego engineers, enables charging of lithium-metal batteries in about an hour, a speed that is competitive against today’s lithium-ion batteries. The UC San Diego engineers, in collaboration with UC Irvine imaging researchers, published this advance aimed at developing fast-charging lithium-metal batteries today (February 9, 2023) in the journal Nature Energy.

Uniform Crystals of Lithium Metal

In this SEM image, large, uniform crystals of lithium metal grow on a surface that is surprising because it doesn’t “like” lithium. UC San Diego battery researchers found that lithium metal crystals can be started (nucleated) and grown, quickly and uniformly, into dense layers of lithium metal that lack performance-degrading dendrites. In a Nature Energy paper published on Feb. 9, 2023, the UC San Diego battery researchers showed that this surprise formation of lithium crystal seeds leads to dense lithium layers even at high charging rates, resulting in long-cycle-life lithium-metal batteries that can also be fast-charged. This discovery overcomes a common phenomena in rechargeable lithium-metal batteries in which high-rate charging always leads to porous lithium and short cycle lifes. By replacing the ubiquitous copper surfaces on the negative side (the anode) of lithium-metal batteries with this lithiophobic surface made of lithium fluoride and iron, the researchers have opened a new avenue for creating more reliable, safer, higher-performance lithium-metal batteries. Credit: Zhaohui Wu and Zeyu Hui / UC San Diego

To grow lithium metal crystals, the researchers replaced the ubiquitous copper surfaces on the negative side (the anode) of lithium-metal batteries with a lithiophobic nanocomposite surface made of lithium fluoride (LiF) and iron (Fe). Using this lithiophobic surface for lithium deposition, lithium crystal seeds formed, and from these seeds grew dense lithium layers – even at high charging rates. The result was long-cycle-life lithium-metal batteries that can be charged quickly.

“The special nanocomposite surface is the discovery,” said UC San Diego nanoengineering professor Ping Liu, the senior author on the new paper. “We challenged the traditional notion of what kind of surface is needed to grow lithium crystals. The prevailing wisdom is that lithium grows better on surfaces that it likes, surfaces that are lithiophilic. In this work, we show that is not always true. The substrate we use does not like lithium. However, it provides abundant nucleation sites along with fast surface lithium movement. These two factors lead to the growth of these beautiful crystals. This is a nice example of a scientific insight solving a technical problem.”

Single Crystal Lithium Metal Seeded Lithiophoboic Nanocomposite Surface

Cryo-TEM image of a single crystal of lithium metal that was seeded on a surprising, lithiophoboic nanocomposite surface made of lithium fluoride and iron. The lithium crystal has a hexagonal bipyramidal shape. In a Nature Energy paper published on Feb. 9, 2023, the UC San Diego and UC Irvine researchers showed that this surprise formation of lithium crystal seeds leads to dense lithium layers even at high charging rates, resulting in long-cycle-life lithium-metal batteries that can also be fast charged. This discovery overcomes a common phenomena in rechargeable lithium-metal batteries in which high-rate charging always leads to porous lithium and short cycle lifes. By replacing the ubiquitous copper surfaces on the negative side (the anode) of lithium-metal batteries with this lithiophobic surface made of lithium fluoride and iron, the researchers have opened a new avenue for creating more reliable, safer, higher performance lithium-metal batteries. Credit: Chunyang Wang and Huolin Xin / UC Irvine

The new advance led by UC San Diego nanoengineers could eliminate a significant roadblock that is holding back widespread use of energy-dense lithium-metal batteries for applications like electric vehicles (EVs) and portable electronics. While lithium-metal batteries hold great potential for EVs and portable electronics because of their high charge density, today’s lithium-metal batteries must be charged extremely slowly in order to maintain battery performance and avoid safety problems. The slow charging is necessary to minimize the formation of battery-performance-wrecking lithium dendrites that form as lithium ions join with electrons to form lithium crystals on the anode side of the battery. Lithium crystals build up as the battery charges, and the lithium crystals dissolve as the battery discharges.

Reference: “Growing single-crystalline seeds on lithiophobic substrates to enable fast-charging lithium-metal batteries” by Zhaohui Wu, Zeyu Hui, Haodong Liu, Shen Wang, Sicen Yu, Xing Xing, John Holoubek, Qiushi Miao Ping Liu, Chunyang Wang and Huolin L. Xin, 9 February 2023, Nature Energy. DOI: 10.1038/s41560-023-01202-1

Ping Liu is the director of the Sustainable Power and Energy Center (SPEC) at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering where he also serves as professor in the Department of NanoEngineering.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Military/Veterans; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: 41stparallelpeople; dendrites; lithium; nodendrites
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1 posted on 02/09/2023 1:26:06 PM PST by Red Badger
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To: Red Badger

Too bad we are not mining the lithium here just because doing so is an environmental nightmare. But I’m sure we can buy it forever from the Chinese.


2 posted on 02/09/2023 1:36:08 PM PST by GrumpyOldGuy
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To: Red Badger

So how big are the copper wires going to be to charge these new batteries quickly?

Who’s building the nuclear power plants to charge these things?


3 posted on 02/09/2023 1:42:29 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: Red Badger
What's the big deal here? I'm not getting it. Am I missing something?

The article leads with: "These batteries are capable of charging in as little as an hour...".

We already see that. At a 150kW DC fast charger my EV charges from 15% to 80% in 15 minutes (closer to 10 minutes with a 350kW charger, though admittedly the battery charges that fast only in the first few minutes when the charge level is low). I can charge it completely to 100% in 30-40 minutes if I'm eating dinner plate lunch or otherwise taking a break to make it worth waiting an extra 15 or 25 minutes to top out the last 20%.

4 posted on 02/09/2023 1:48:32 PM PST by Tell It Right (1st Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: Red Badger

So the future is getting a Fast Charge refill in only 1 Hour:-)


5 posted on 02/09/2023 1:48:38 PM PST by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than having to WORK like the rest of US:-))
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To: Red Badger

I do not believe that Lithium is the future. It is too rare a material to be used on a worldwide basis for a very long time.

The battery that will work best will be something that makes use of material that is relatively common and abundant, like sodium.

I view the use of lithium as very limited.


6 posted on 02/09/2023 1:50:11 PM PST by Jonty30 (THE URGE TO SAVE THE WORLD IS ALMOST ALWAYS AN URGE TO RULE IT)
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To: Red Badger

With these monthly technology breakthroughs, batteries are now unlimited in capacity, unlimited in number of charge cycles, last for a minimum of 100 years, hold its charge for 20 years on the shelf, very light weight, very small, and cheaper than than a bic lighter!


7 posted on 02/09/2023 1:50:17 PM PST by rigelkentaurus
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To: Red Badger

Fast charging you say. And much does this fast charging make this battery die sooner? This always seems to be a problem.

As in you buy a new Tesla automobile. If you only charge it up via fast charging. You will have to replace your battery years sooner. A relative goes in for this EV stuff. He has a charging station in his garage. I must assume that you can regulate the charging speed at home? Right? So that you can dial it back. To where his Tesla (Chevy Bolt too) get charged more slowly over 8 hours.


8 posted on 02/09/2023 1:50:57 PM PST by dennisw ("You don't have to like it. You just have to do it")
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To: Red Badger
Amazing - and we can charge them up with our any-day-now fusion reactors.
9 posted on 02/09/2023 1:57:46 PM PST by zeestephen (43,000)
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To: Red Badger

New way to start house fires?


10 posted on 02/09/2023 1:58:20 PM PST by CarmichaelPatriot (Recovering Kalifornian... Loving Alabama!)
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To: Tell It Right

The difference is no dendrites. So the battery can be fast charged every time and never lose any capacity and last 20 or 30 years or more.


11 posted on 02/09/2023 2:08:37 PM PST by BereanBrain
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To: Red Badger

Yeah, ok.


12 posted on 02/09/2023 2:09:13 PM PST by WKUHilltopper
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To: Red Badger

lithium? Pshaw...

I’m waiting for the dilithium crystals. Then we can use the matter/antimatter reactor.


13 posted on 02/09/2023 2:10:15 PM PST by John Milner (Marching for Peace is like breathing for food.)
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To: rigelkentaurus

“With these monthly technology breakthroughs, batteries are now —— cheaper than than a bic lighter!”

And strike up a fire like a bic lighter, and burn the garage and any adjacent structures to the ground.

Like a previous poster said, they are not the future.

Lithium is too rare, too costly, too heavy and batteries made from such are fire hazards.


14 posted on 02/09/2023 2:14:01 PM PST by redfreedom (You can vote your way into socialism, but you may have to shoot your way out.)
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To: dennisw
A relative goes in for this EV stuff. He has a charging station in his garage.

Brave soul. Hope his insurance will cover it.

15 posted on 02/09/2023 2:20:33 PM PST by Chad C. Mulligan (eleutheromaniac)
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To: Red Badger

I’m afraid to ask - is this “just around the corner”?


16 posted on 02/09/2023 2:34:39 PM PST by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how thery control you. )
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To: Red Badger

So tired of all the “breakthroughs” that are not commercially viable.

The west is exploiting the Third World for these resources while our banks deny them the loans to build power generation.

This is western enslavement of nations that will hate us for generations because we kept them in poverty instead of lifting them out.


17 posted on 02/09/2023 2:34:59 PM PST by Erik Latranyi (Make America Florida)
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To: Tell It Right

“What’s the big deal here? I’m not getting it. Am I missing something?
The article leads with: “These batteries are capable of charging in as little as an hour...”. “

From the article...

“This new approach, led by University of California San Diego engineers, enables charging of lithium-metal batteries in about an hour, a speed that is competitive against today’s lithium-ion batteries.”

I guess you have lithium-ion.

So what’s the advantage of lithium metal? Higher power density? Lower cost?


18 posted on 02/09/2023 2:40:32 PM PST by aquila48 (Do not let them make you "care" ! Guilting you is how thery control you. )
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To: Erik Latranyi

True. But really enjoyed your tag!! LOL


19 posted on 02/09/2023 2:43:30 PM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: GrumpyOldGuy

Lithium metal is a surprisingly highly reactive element, much like sodium and potassium. When lithium metal comes into contact with water, it forms lithium hydroxide and hydrogen gas, and a LOT of heat, which then ignites the hydrogen in the presence of oxygen.

One of the reasons it is so hard to extinguish a fire ignited by a lithium battery.


20 posted on 02/09/2023 2:46:42 PM PST by alloysteel (Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right. - Isaac Asimov)
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