Atomic Layer Deposition and Molecular Layer Deposition for Next Generation Battery

Abstract

Li-metal batteries (LMBs) and Na-metal batteries (NMBs) are considered as the promising next-generation battery systems to replace the conventional Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their high theoretical energy density. For LMBs and NMBs, Li metal and Na metal are the ultimate choices to achieve their high energy density due to the high specific capacity, low electrochemical potential, and lightweight. However, as alkali metals, both Li and Na metal anodes suffer from serious challenges including 1) Li/Na dendrite formations and short circuits; 2) Low Coulombic efficiency and poor cycling performance; and 3) Infinite volume changes.In this presentation, I will introduce our research that contributed to next-generation LMBs and NMBs via different approaches. i) The interface is one of the key factors for the Li and Na deposition behaviors and battery performances. We developed different approaches, such as atomic layer deposition (ALD), molecular layer deposition (MLD) techniques, and solution-based method to fabricate the artificial interface with significantly improved electrochemical performances and reduced dendrite formation for Li/Na metal anodes. ii) To address another challenge of volume change, we firstly proposed the 3D conductive interlayer concept for Li and Na metal anodes with excellent electrochemical performance under high current density and high capacity. All these ideas have been also further applied to solve the practical issues for different Li and Na metal battery systems.