Dr. David Mitlin and Dr. Donald Siegel, along with their colleagues in the Department of Energy’s MUSIC Energy Frontier Research Center, recently published a perspective article in Nature Materials on "Electro-Chemo-Mechanics of Anode-Free Solid-State Batteries."
These batteries have the potential to achieve higher energy densities for long-range electric vehicles, but also present unique challenges due to their sparing use of Li.
In their article, Mitlin, Siegel, and the MUSIC team describe how lithium interacts at the solid–solid interfaces between the electrolyte and current collector, driving key processes such as lithium nucleation, growth, stripping, and cycling. Different from traditional “lithium-excess” batteries, anode-free systems experience mechanical deformation of lithium and interfacial behaviors that influence performance and lifespan.
The authors identify several pathways to improve battery performance, including interfacial engineering, optimizing current collectors, and controlling lithium stripping dynamics. They also highlight critical research areas for follow-up, such as understanding battery behavior under low stack pressures and tailoring interphase growth to enhance stability.
These advances will be crucial in overcoming the challenges faced by anode-free SSBs and unlocking their full potential for next-generation energy storage applications.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-024-02055-z#Sec8