Abstract
Extra-terrestrial explorations require electrochemical energy storage devices able to operate in gravity conditions different from those of planet earth. In this context, lithium (Li)-based batteries have not been fully investigated, especially cell formation and cycling performances under supergravity (i.e., gravity > 9.8 m s−2) conditions. To shed some light on these aspects, here, we investigate the behavior of non-aqueous Li metal cells under supergravity conditions. The physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations reveal that, distinctly from earth gravity conditions, smooth and dense Li metal depositions are obtained under supergravity during Li metal deposition on a Cu substrate. Moreover, supergravity allows the formation of an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) due to the strong interactions between Li+ and salt anions, which promote significant decomposition of the anions on the negative electrode surface. Tests in full Li metal pouch cell configuration (using LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2-based positive electrode and LiFSI-based electrolyte solution) also demonstrate the favorable effect of the supergravity in terms of deposition morphology and SEI composition and ability to carry out 200 cycles at 2 C (400 mA g−1) rate with a capacity retention of 96%.
Highlights
Extra-terrestrial explorations require electrochemical energy storage devices able to operate in gravity conditions different from those of planet earth
To explore the influence of supergravity on the electrochemical performance of Li metal batteries in future space exploration, Li | |Cu cells were first employed for evaluation
Supergravity was supplied by rotating centrifugal force, which is a typical practice at present[26,27], and the coefficients (1G, 1G, 30G, and 50G) and direction of supergravity are adjusted by rotational speed and the fixed angle of the battery (Supplementary Fig. 1a, b and Supplementary Video)
Summary
Extra-terrestrial explorations require electrochemical energy storage devices able to operate in gravity conditions different from those of planet earth. In this context, lithium (Li)-based batteries have not been fully investigated, especially cell formation and cycling performances under supergravity (i.e., gravity > 9.8 m s−2) conditions. The working mechanism of the Li metal electrode is a classic electroplating and stripping process, meaning that supergravity may impact the fundamental electrochemical behavior of Li metal. To validate this conjecture, we introduced supergravity during the operation of Li metal batteries and revealed the a Satellite
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