Molten lithium metal battery with Li4Ti5O12 cathode and solid electrolyte

Abstract

Along with the rapid development of electric vehicles (EVs) and intermittent renewable energy, energy storage for EVs has received much attention over the past decade. Rechargeable batteries have been considered a feasible solution to utilize intermittent renewable energy with higher efficiency. Rechargeable batteries with promising safety, lifespan, low expenditure, durable components, or mature electric control systems are desired for energy storage systems. Recently, solid electrolyte-based liquid lithium (SELL) batteries have demonstrated excellent performances and great potential for energy storage applications by manipulating different cathode materials. Herein, a new type of SELL battery with Li4Ti5O12 cathode (SELL-LTO battery) is reported. Li4Ti5O12 is a distinctive electrode material with good rate performance, high-standard safety, moderate cost, and superior cycling stability at 280 °C, which make it an excellent cathode material for SELL batteries. The assembled SELL-LTO full cell has been cycled 100 times with an average energy efficiency of 92%. Moreover, the cell also exhibits good rate performance and can recover after being cooled and thawed.