Thin layer protection fix for cold weather charging challenge

This is the claim of a team from Penn State University whose findings are published in Nature Energy.

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"The lithium metal battery is the next generation of battery after the lithium ion battery," said Donghai Wang, professor of mechanical engineering and a key researcher in the Battery and Energy Storage Technology Center, Penn State University. "It uses a lithium anode and has higher energy density, but has problems with dendritic growth, low efficiency and low cycle life."

The researchers said the solution to these problems is a self-assembling monolayer that is electrochemically active so that it can decompose into its proper components and protect the surface of the lithium anode.

The battery is composed of the lithium anode, a lithium metal oxide cathode and an electrolyte which also has lithium-ion conducting materials and the protective, thin film layer. Without this layer, the battery would tend to grow lithium crystal spikes if charged rapidly or under cold conditions, which eventually short out the battery.