Electron ‘spillway’ could make lithium batteries safer

Lithium batteries generally fail due to the appearance of needle-like structures called dendrites, which build up on the anode after multiple charging cycles. These dendrites can grow long enough to pierce the separator that divides the anode and cathode, creating an electron pathway that causes an internal short circuit. When that happens, the flow of electrons gets out of control, causing the battery to instantly overheat and stop working.

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Developed at the University of California San Diego, the new separator features one side that’s covered by a thin, partially conductive web of carbon nanotubes. This web intercepts any dendrites that form, allowing electrons to be released gradually rather than all at once.

“We’re not trying to stop battery failure from happening. We’re making it much safer so that when it does fail, the battery doesn’t catastrophically catch on fire or explode,” said UCSD nanoengineering PhD student Matthew Gonzalez, first author of the paper, published in Advanced Materials.