Solid-state Rechargeable Batteries Research Articles

Scientometric Insights into Rechargeable Solid-State Battery Developments

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) offer significant improvements in safety, energy density, and cycle life over conventional lithium-ion batteries, with promising applications in electric vehicles and grid storage due to their non-flammable electrolytes and high-capacity lithium metal anodes. However, challenges such as interfacial resistance, low ionic conductivity, and manufacturing scalability hinder their commercial viability. This study conducts a comprehensive scientometric analysis, examining 131 peer-reviewed SSB research articles from IEEE Xplore and Web of Science databases to identify key thematic areas and bibliometric patterns driving SSB advancements. Through a detailed analysis of thematic keywords and publication trends, this study uniquely identifies innovations in high-ionic-conductivity solid electrolytes and advanced cathode materials, providing actionable insights into the persistent challenges of interfacial engineering and scalable production, which are critical to SSB commercialization. The findings offer a roadmap for targeted research and strategic investments by researchers and industry stakeholders, addressing gaps in long-term stability, scalable production, and high-performance interface optimization that are currently hindering widespread SSB adoption. The study reveals key advances in electrolyte interface stability and ion transport mechanisms, identifying how solid-state electrolyte modifications and cathode coating methods improve charge cycling and reduce dendrite formation, particularly for high-energy-density applications. By mapping publication growth and clustering research themes, this study highlights high-impact areas such as cycling stability and ionic conductivity. The insights from this analysis guide researchers toward impactful areas, such as electrolyte optimization and scalable production, and provide industry leaders with strategies for accelerating SSB commercialization to extend electric vehicle range, enhance grid storage, and improve overall energy efficiency.

Alkyl-Ether Group-Modified Anthraquinone-Based Negative Electrode for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of All Solid-State Rechargeable Air Batteries

Alkyl-Ether Group-Modified Anthraquinone-Based Negative Electrode for Enhanced Electrochemical Performance of All Solid-State Rechargeable Air Batteries

Effect of Chemical Doping on Ion Transport in Sulfide Solid Electrolytes

Rechargeable solid-state batteries (SSBs) offer tremendous promise as a safe and energy-dense storage technology for use in electric transportation, robotics, and portable electronics. Lithium argyrodites (e.g., Li7PS6, and its halogen-doped derivatives) have emerged as a lucrative class of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) for SSBs owing to their high Li-ion conductivity (~10-3 S/cm), good elastic stiffness (~30 GPa), and low flammability. Meanwhile, sulfide-based solid electrolytes such as Na3SbS4 (NSS) also showcase substantial potential for SSBs with their high theoretical specific capacity, enhanced safety, and abundance of resources. Despite their promise, both lithium and sodium-based SSBs remain far from commercialization due to lack of atomic-scale understanding of ion-conduction, charge transport, structural evolution, and interfacial reactions (e.g., dendrite growth, electrolyte decomposition etc.). Here we employ a combination of density functional theory calculations, ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, and nudged elastic band calculations to understand ion transport mechanism in chemically doped lithium argyrodites and NSS.In lithium-based systems, using accurate materials modeling, we design fluorine-containing argyrodite electrolytes that offers enhanced Li-ion conduction facilitated by unique Li-disorder induced by fluorine and other halogen co-dopants. Our results show the opening up of new pathways for Li inter-cage hops in these fluorine -containing argyrodite electrolytes which increases the Li-ion conductivity. In the case of sodium-based systems, we focus on atomic-scale mechanisms underlying Na-ion conduction in the presence of cation dopants. Ab initio molecular dynamics simulations reveal the significant impact of cation dopants on NSS, where the introduction of charge-compensating Na-vacancies enhances Na-ion conduction. The size of the cation dopant is found to be a critical factor, with examples such as Ca-doped NSS (rCa2+ / rNa+ = 0.98) showing a conductivity approximately 10 times that of pristine NSS, while larger Ba2+ as a dopant (rBa2+ / rNa+ = 1.35) hinders Na-ion hops due to local strain, resulting in a Na-ion conductivity ~5 times that of NSS. We will discuss these results in the context of accelerating design of novel solid-state electrolytes for long-lived, stable, and high-energy density SSBs.

Liquid Metal Mediated Heterostructure Fluoride Solid Electrolytes of High Conductivity and Air Stability for Sustainable Na Metal Batteries.

Fluoride-based solid electrolytes (SEs) have emerged as a promising component for high-energy-density rechargeable solid-state batteries (SSBs) in view of their wide electrochemical window, high air stability, and interface compatibility, but they still face the challenge of low ion conductivity and the lack of a desired structure for sodium metal SSBs. Here, we report a sodium-rich heterostructure fluoride SE, Na3GaF6-Ga2O3-NaCl (NGFOC-G), synthesized via in situ oxidation of liquid metal gallium and in situ chlorination using low-melting GaCl3. The distinctive features of NGFOC-G include single-crystal Na3GaF6 domains within an open-framework structure, composite interface decoration of Ga2O3 and NaCl with a concentration gradient, exceptional air stability, and high electrochemical oxidation stability. By leveraging the penetration of gallium at NaF grain boundaries and the in situ self-oxidation to form Ga2O3 nanodomains, the solid-phase reaction kinetics of NaF and GaF3 is activated for facilitating the synthesis of main component Na3GaF6. The introduction of a small amount of a chlorine source during synthesis further softens and modifies the boundaries of Na3GaF6 along with Ga2O3. Benefiting from the enhanced interface ion transport, the optimized NGFOC-G exhibits an ionic conductivity up to 10-4 S/cm at 40 °C, which is the highest level reported among fluoride-based sodium-ion SEs. This SE demonstrates a "self-protection" mechanism, where the formation of a high Young's modulus transition layer rich in NaF and Na2O under electrochemical driving prevents the dendrite growth of sodium metal. The corresponding Na/Na symmetric cells show minimal voltage hysteresis and stable cycling performance for at least 1000 h. The Na/NGFOC-G/Na3V2(PO4)3 cell demonstrates stable capacity release around 100 mAh/g at room temperature. The Na/NGFOC-G/FeF3 cell delivers a high capacity of 461 mAh/g with an excellent stability of conversion reaction cycling.

Self-standing electrospun Co/Zn@N-doped carbon nanofiber electrode for highly stable liquid and solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries and performance evaluated by scanning electrochemical microscopy at various temperatures

Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) as promising energy storage technologies have shown immense advantages of high energy density, abundant zinc reserves, low cost, and high safety. However, the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at the cathode still limits their overall performances. Herein, we fabricated a self-supported N-doped Co/Zn-carbon nanofiber membrane (Co/Zn@NCF) with superior activity and durability for the ORR. The liquid ZABs based on Co/Zn@NCF catalysts exhibited a cycling life of over 666 h with a charge/discharge voltage difference of 0.64 V and a voltage efficiency of 66 %. The fabricated flexible solid-state ZAB enables it to be stably charged and discharged under different bending angles. Strikingly the temperature-controlled scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) was developed to probe the local activity and selectivity of membrane-like Co/Zn@NCF at a submicrometer scale. This study provides an effective way for the development of self-supported catalysts for energy conversion devices and offers the in-operando technique for the analysis of catalysts in various operating temperatures.

Parametric optimization of sulfur@graphene composites for aqueous and solid-state rechargeable lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium‑sulfur batteries have great potential for use in electric vehicles and power grids, but the poor conductivity and volume expansion of sulfur during the lithiation process have hindered their commercialization. One potential solution is to entrap elemental sulfur between graphene parallel sheets, which can improve the conductivity and stability of the battery. This work reports on a parametric study of a method for incorporating sulfur into graphene sheets using ultrasonication and low surface tension solvents. Results show that the method is successful in loading sulfur between graphene sheets, with a maximum of 36.48 wt% sulfur. The resulting nanocomposite material was found to have stable cycling performance over 150 cycles with fast C-regime for aqueous lithium‑sulfur battery making it a promising candidate for use in lithium‑sulfur batteries.But more research is required to optimize S@G-50's performance in all-solid-state systems and address associated challenges to improve cycling performance.

Gel Polymer Electrolytes: Advancing Solid-State Batteries for High-Performance Applications.

Gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) hold tremendous potential for advancing high-energy-density and safe rechargeable solid-state batteries, making them a transformative technology for advancing electric vehicles. GPEs offer high ionic conductivity and mechanical stability, enabling their use in quasi-solid-state batteries that combine solid-state interfaces with liquid-like behavior. Various GPEs based on different materials, including flame-retardant GPEs, dendrite-free polymer gel electrolytes, hybrid solid-state batteries, and 3D printable GPEs, have been developed. Significant efforts have also been directed toward improving the interface between GPEs and electrodes. The integration of gel-based electrolytes into solid-state electrochemical devices has the potential to revolutionize energy storage solutions by offering improved efficiency and reliability. These advancements find applications across diverse industries, particularly in electric vehicles and renewable energy. This review comprehensively discusses the potential of GPEs as solid-state electrolytes for diverse battery systems, such as lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), lithium metal batteries (LMBs), lithium-oxygen batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, zinc-based batteries, sodium-ion batteries, and dual-ion batteries. This review highlights the materials being explored for GPE development, including polymers, inorganic compounds, and ionic liquids. Furthermore, it underscores the transformative impact of GPEs on solid-state batteries and their role in enhancing the performance and safety of energy storage devices.

A Versatile Extended Stöber Approach to Monodisperse Sub-40nm Carbon Nanospheres for Stabilizing Atomically Dispersed Fe─N4 Sites Toward Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis.

The development of atomically dispersed iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe─N─C) catalysts as an alternative to precious platinum holds great potential for the substantial progress of a variety of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)-associated energy conversion technologies. Nevertheless, the precise synthesis of Fe─N─C single atomic catalysts (SACs) with a high density of accessible active sites and pronounced electrocatalytic performance still remains an enormous challenge. Herein, an innovative extended Stöber method is designed for the controllable preparation of monodisperse small-sized N-doped carbon colloidal nanospheres (≈40nm) anchoring atomically isolated Fe─N4 sites (abbreviated as Fe-SA@N-CNSs hereafter) with a narrow size distribution and high uniformity. Benefiting from the single Fe─N4 moieties and the unique spherical carbon substrate, the resultant Fe-SA@N-CNSs exhibit excellent ORR activity, outstanding long-term durability, and methanol tolerance in KOH electrolyte. More impressively, when further assembled into a flexible solid-state rechargeable zinc-air battery (ZAB), the Fe-SA@N-CNSs-driven ZAB delivers a higher open circuit voltage, a larger power density, and robust cycling/mechanical stability, outperforming the state-of-the-art Pt/C-based counterpart and further testifying the great potential of the as-prepared Fe-SA@N-CNSs in diverse ORR-related practical energy devices. The developed extended Stöber method provides an efficient and versatile avenue toward the preparation of a series of well-defined SACs for diverse electrocatalytic systems.

Mg-doped NASICON-type electrolyte for rechargeable solid-state sodium-ion batteries

Designing high sodium-ion conducting solid electrolytes is essential for realizing solid-state sodium-ion batteries. The present study investigates the earth-abundant divalent Mg2+ doping in the NASICON-type compound with a general compositional formula Na3.2+2xZr2-xMgxSi2.2P0·8O12 (x ranging from 0 to 0.228). Polycrystalline specimens are prepared via the conventional solid-state reaction method. A dominant monoclinic NASICON and the impurity m-ZrO2 exist in all the tested compositions. Na3PO4 and rhombohedral NASICON are also detected in compositions with high Mg2+ content. The conductivity significantly improves to 3.2 mS.cm−1 at 25 °C with maximum occurring at x = 0.128. The optimal microstructure, high excess Na content, expanded unit-cell volume, and conducting rhombohedral phase contribute to excellent conductivity in this composition. The electrochemical performance of various solid-state batteries with Na3·1V2P2·9Si0·1O12 electrode and optimized solid electrolyte is also evaluated. The symmetrical-cells having solid electrolyte/electrode interface modified by liquid electrolyte show a stable capacity of 70 mAh.g−1 after 70 cycles at C/10. Moreover, the solid-state half-cell in which a composite cathode is employed with no liquid electrolyte at the interface delivered a considerably high capacity of 92 mAh.g−1 at a C/5 rate. An outstanding energy density of ∼300 Wh.kg−1 at 25 °C demonstrates the exciting prospect of Na3·456Zr1·872Mg0·128Si2·2P0·8O12 electrolyte for rechargeable solid-state batteries.

Synergistic Fe-Se Atom Pairs as Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysts Boost Low-Temperature Rechargeable Zn-Air Battery.

Herein, we successfully construct bifunctional electrocatalysts by synthesizing atomically dispersed Fe-Se atom pairs supported on N-doped carbon (Fe-Se/NC). The obtained Fe-Se/NC shows a noteworthy bifunctional oxygen catalytic performance with a low potential difference of 0.698 V, far superior to that of reported Fe-based single-atom catalysts. The theoretical calculations reveal that p-d orbital hybridization around the Fe-Se atom pairs leads to remarkably asymmetrical polarized charge distributions. Fe-Se/NC based solid-state rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs-Fe-Se/NC) present stable charge/discharge of 200 h (1090 cycles) at 20 mA cm-2 at 25 °C, which is 6.9 times of ZABs-Pt/C+Ir/C. At extremely low temperature of -40 °C, ZABs-Fe-Se/NC displays an ultra-robust cycling performance of 741 h (4041 cycles) at 1 mA cm-2 , which is about 11.7 times of ZABs-Pt/C+Ir/C. More importantly, ZABs-Fe-Se/NC could be operated for 133 h (725 cycles) even at 5 mA cm-2 at -40 °C.

Gram-scale synthesis and unraveling the activity origin of atomically dispersed Co-N4O sites toward superior electrocatalytic oxygen reduction

Exploring highly efficient nonprecious metal-based single-atom catalysts (SACs) toward the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical for the sustainable development of ORR-related energy conversion and storage systems. However, the scalable synthesis, delicate regulation of the coordination environment and molecular-level elucidation of the electrocatalytic mechanism remain challenging. Herein, we report a facile gram-scale synthesis of atomically dispersed Co sites anchored on N-doped carbon nanofibers (noted as Co-SA@N-CNFs) via a reliable predesigned phenolic resin-mediated strategy for efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysis. The local coordination configuration of the single-atomic Co sites is proposed as the Co-N4O moiety with one O atom in the axial direction perpendicular to the Co-N4 plane. Theoretical calculations uncover that, compared with the common Co-N4 single sites, the formation of Co-N4O configuration is beneficial to reduce the reaction energy barrier, adjust the bond length between the metal sites and the intermediates, and also increase the electric conductivity. Therefore, the Co-SA@N-CNFs demonstrated distinguished ORR activity, outstanding electrochemical stability and methanol tolerance in KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, when assembled in liquid and flexible solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs), the Co-SA@N-CNFs-equipped ZABs exhibited higher power densities, larger specific capacities and extraordinary cycling performance, compared with the Pt/C-based ZABs. The simple and robust methodology for the mass production of SACs and the engineered coordination environment for performance optimization inspire the future design of a wide range of SACs for energy devices.

High-performance solid-state lithium metal batteries achieved by interface modification

Garnet-structured ceramic electrolyte Li6.75La3Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 (LLZTO) attracts significant consideration in solid-state Li metal batteries due to its wide electrochemical window and favorable compatibility with Li metal. However, the deployment of LLZTO is severely hampered by poor contact between LLZTO and Li metal anode. In this paper, an ultra-thin Al-Si interface buffer layer (10 nm) is constructed on LLZTO by a magnetron sputtering method, which allows superior wetting of Li onto the LLZTO surface due to the alloying reaction between the Al-Si layer and Li metal. The resulting Li/Al-Si coated LLZTO (ASL)/Li symmetrical cell delivers an interfacial resistance of 15.0 Ω cm−2, which is much lower than that of 1140.3 Ω cm−2 for the bare LLZTO symmetrical cell. Moreover, the Li/ASL/Li symmetrical cells exhibit stable plating/striping performance (800 h) with small voltage hysteresis at 1.0 mA cm−2. Besides, the full cell with LiFePO4 cathode reveals a high capacity of 124.1 mA h g−1 after 600 cycles at 0.5C with a low-capacity decay of 0.032% per cycle. We believe this work will facilitate the development of solid-state rechargeable batteries.

Core-shell template derived porous 3D-Fe/Fe2O3@NSC composites as high performance catalysts for aqueous and solid-state rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Exploiting inexpensive and highly efficient catalysts used for rechargeable aqueous and solid-state Zn-air batteries is of great significance in this energy-dominated society, especially in this energy crisis period. However, the widespread application of Zn-air battery is constrained by the cathode catalysts. Therefore, the establishment of cost-effective catalysts can truly propel the commercialization process of Zn-air battery. In this work, we employ the template thermolysis-transformation oxidation strategy to construct the three-dimension carbon encapsulated Fe/Fe2O3 heterojunction composites to improve the electrochemical performance with N, S co-doped Zn-NTA@Fe-MOF core–shell materials as thermolysis templates followed by low temperature mild oxidation. Owing to the decomposition and ion migration of Zn-NTA nuclear from internal area of templates, the 3D-Fe/Fe2O3@NSC catalysts are observed to possess loose and porous configuration with plentiful channels, which is in favor of the improvement of mass/O2-containing intermediate transfer, so as to achieve a high performance. Theoretical calculation results disclose that the formation of heterojunction is in favor of optimizing the electronic configuration and reducing the reaction barriers. The optimal 3D-Fe/Fe2O3@NSC-900 catalysts embrace a high ORR performance with the half-wave potential of 0.88 V and a low potential difference between ORR and OER of 0.718 V. Consequently, the 3D-Fe/Fe2O3@NSC-900 based rechargeable liquid and all-solid-state Zn-air batteries exhibit remarkable stability (cycle time greater than 250 h and 155 h) and excellent power density of 195.85 and 97.73 mW.cm−2, respectively. In summary, this work provides a potential strategy to construct an efficient and cost-effective electrocatalyst toward practical applications.

Solid state lithium-ion rechargeable batteries: An overview

Rechargeable solid-state Li-ion batteries have potential for applications in mobile devices and electric vehicles in the near future to meet the growing demand for high energy storage. Research on rechargeable solid-state Li-ion batteries has a long history and has been accelerating recently. Solid electrolytes are the most important component in the all-solid-state batteries. Solid electrolytes can be divided into the following groups: oxide groups (Perovskite Li3.3La0.56TiO3, NASICON LiTi2(PO4)3, LISICON Li14Zn(GeO4)4, and Li7La3Zr2O12 garnets), sulfide groups (Li2S – P2S5 and Li2S – P2S5 – MxS), hydride group (LiBH4, LiBH4–LiX (X=Cl, Br or I), LiBH4–LiNH2, LiNH2, Li3AlH6 and Li2NH), halogen group (LiI, spinel Li2ZnI4 and anti-perovskite Li3OCl), and polymer group (mainly polyethylene). Although electrolytes with good ionic conductivity have been used, the performance of solid-state rechargeable Li-ion batteries is still far behind that of the ones using liquid electrolytes. Along with the development of science and technology, many scientific and technical problems in solid-state rechargeable Li-ion batteries have been discovered. In this review, the major issues of solid-state rechargeable Li-ion batteries will be breifly documented: the interface between the active material (AM) and the solid electrolyte (SE), aging of the solid-solid interface, electrode structure, and fabrication methods.

Synthesis of Na3SbS4 solid electrolyte from aqueous solution and its application in solid state rechargeable batteries

The tetragonal Na3SbS4 solid electrolyte was synthesized from aqueous solution in this study. The XRD results showed that the peak separation at 2θ = 30.1 and 35.1 º might from a defect in the crystal structure of t-Na3SbS4. The results of Rietveld analysis showed that the crystal structure of the Na3SbS4 sample after heat treatment belongs to the space group P-421c with the reliability coefficients Rwp=14.959%, Rp=11.690%. The lattice parameters are a = b = 7.1554(13) Å and c = 7.2829(13) Å. The pressure dependence in the pelletizing process of the ionic conductivity of the solid electrolyte t-Na3SbS4 was investigated and the pellets made at a pressure of 550 MPa had the highest ionic conductivity among the prepared samples, reaching a value of 6.0x10-4 Scm-1 at 25 ºC. The activation energies for the transport of Na⁺ ions in the prepared samples were 23, 24, 26 and 24 kJ mol-1 for pellets formed at pressures of 330, 403, 477 and 550 Mpa, respectively. These results demonstrate that the ion conduction mechanism is independent of the pellet forming pressure but the ionic conductivity at 25 ºC is directly proportional to those values. In addition, the electrochemical stability of Na3SbS4 was also evaluated through the discharge-charge characteristics of the battery cell TiS2−Na3SbS4|Na3SbS4| Na15Sn4. In the first discharge - charge cycle, the Coulomb efficiency was about 92.7% and higher than 99% from the second cycle onwards.

All-in-One Process for Mass Production of Membrane-Type Carbon Aerogel Electrodes for Solid-State Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries.

This study presents a mass-production process for conductive carbon membrane-type sponge electrodes derived from recyclable cellulose biowaste. It includes an all-in-one hydrogel fabrication process for mass production, which significantly shortens the complex and expensive process for the conventional process of catalytic electrodes based on conductive supporting substrates such as the gas diffusion layer (GDL). The presence of pre-adsorbed melamine powder in the all-in-one hydrogel induces internal diffusion of the gaseous reactant for the uniform growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) onto the sponge-like porous carbon aerogel with a relatively thick and tortuous pore structure, thereby providing the electrochemical properties and mechanical strength simultaneously required for the air electrodes of rechargeable and quasi solid-state zinc-air batteries.

Heterostructure engineering of NiCo layered double hydroxide@NiCo2S4 for solid-state rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Solid-state zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are considered as one of the promising next-generation energy storage devices, serving for artificial intelligence and wearable equipment. Unfortunately, they are less than satisfactory because of the unsatisfactory oxygen catalytic performance on air-electrode and the poor contact with solid-state electrolytes. Heterostructure engineering is one of the effective routes to solve the above problems. Herein, we constructed a bifunctional (oxygen reduction and evolution reactions) NiCo layered double hydroxide@NiCo2S4 catalyst with well-designed heterointerfaces, which enhanced electronic interaction and optimized energy-level configuration. It delivers fast charge transfer kinetics and enhanced activity and thus achieves an excellent power density of 88.4 mW cm−2 and rechargeability with a high round-trip efficiency of 74.3% in the solid-state ZABs. This work provides deep insights into the structure-activity relationship between heterostructure catalysts and high-performance ZABs.

A solid composite electrolyte of 3D framework Li6.25La3Sn1.25Bi0.75O12 for rechargeable solid-state batteries

Composite solid electrolytes (CSE) have a wide vista for development in the field of high energy density, safe solid state lithium batteries. This is due to the combination of the flexibility of a polymer combined with the high ionic conductivity of a ceramic. Unfortunately, ceramic fillers distributed arbitrarily in a solid composite electrolyte fail to offer effective continuous, fast Li+ transport channels, but also seriously diminish the high ionic transfer characteristics of a ceramic. Herein, we report on the preparation of a novel, three-dimensional (3D) framework Li6.25La3Sn1.25Bi0.75O12 (LLSBO) garnet-type material embedded in a polymer matrix via the ice-templating method to greatly increase the ionic conductivity of the product. This solid composite electrolyte, relies on the features of continuous channels for good ionic transport and flexibility, which provided an ion conductivity of 1.2 × 10−4 S cm−1 at room temperature. This result was 8.5 times greater than the composite electrolyte with isolated LLSBO particles dispersed in the matrix. Moreover, the Li-ion transference number was measured to be 0.62, greater than most reported solid composite electrolytes. In addition, symmetric Li/electrolyte/Li cell displayed cycle stability for 300 h during the process of repeated electroplating/stripping at 28 °C. The initial discharge capacity of the full cell was 154.92 mAh g−1 and the coulombic efficiency of 98% at 0.3 C, 28 °C, and the capacity retention of the cell was 70% after 150 cycles. These experimental results were attributed to the continuous lithium-ion transmission channels in the electrolyte provided by its 3D framework-based garnet-type LLSBO, which produced higher ion conductivity and the cycle stability in the full cell.

(Invited) Rechargeable Solid State Batteries: Development and Advances for Automotive Applications

Lithium ion batteries have been marked by steady progress over the past few decades owing to their high volumetric and gravimetric energy storage densities. The advent of LIBs resulted in the consistent shift of automotive industry towards hybrid EV's and BEV's. The Nissan Leaf, introduced in Japan and the United States in December 2010, became the first modern all-electric, zero tailpipe emission five door family hatchback to be produced for the mass market from a major manufacturer. Newer models targeted at different customer segments are under development at Nissan and there has been need for more efficient, cost effective and safer LIBs to cater to the needs of the commute.More recently, efforts at Nissan have been diverted towards solid state batteries owing to their ability of surpassing the traditional liquid electrolyte based battery due to higher energy / power densities as well as safety. As a part of Nissan Ambition 2030, research is heavily focused towards development of ASSBs both in terms of chemistry as well as manufacturing technologies. The presentation showcases the efforts of Nissan towards the path of automotive electrification and progress in material, electrode and cell level technologies based on lithium ion batteries and solid state batteries.

(Invited) Flexible and Safe Zinc Alkaline Solid-State Rechargeable Battery for Wearable Applications

Wearable electronics are one of the most rapidly growing industries, due to their extended use in everyday applications resulting in an increased demand for portable energy storage devices. Despite immense success in commercialization of Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), conventional LIBs suffer from issues of cost and safety. The expanding need for cheaper, and safer energy storage devices led explorations towards alternatives. After careful considerations, Zinc (Zn)-Manganese dioxide (MnO2) based alkaline system was chosen to be investigated in this work due to its low cost, inherent safety, and high theoretical energy density. However, challenges associated with making the aforementioned system rechargeable and highly performing still remains. The work in this study is directed towards enhancing the overall performance of the Zn-MnO2 alkaline battery in addition to making it suitable for flexible and wearable applications. A highly ionically conducting polymer electrolyte ({5}CP) with excellent physical and electrochemical stability primarily comprising biopolymer chitosan is prepared by using a time and energy-efficient technique. Incorporation of this polymer electrolyte with Zn anode and MnO2 cathode enabled the successful preparation of a physically flexible cell. To obtain high cyclability and performance of the system; issues of inactive phase formations (MnxOy, ZnMnxOy), low active material availability, pronounced shape changes at the anode surface, and zincate ion transfer towards cathode were overcome by enhancing the electrochemically active layers in the system. The assembled cell comprising the enhanced fabricated layers; (i.e. a Zinc/Stainless steel mesh composite anode, a hierarchical binder-free bismuth and copper additives based MnO2 cathode, and a chitosan-based polymer electrolyte with calcium hydroxide additive) indicated excellent rate capabilities (486 mAh/g @ 0.1 A/g, 78% of the theoretical 2-electron capacity on MnO2), long cycling stabilities (70% retention over 1000 cycles), and good energy densities (155 – 400 Wh/kg @ 0.1 – 1 A/g). Moreover, a number of destructive tests such as being bent, hammered, pressurized, and punctured were conducted on the pouch cell fabricated using the above-mentioned layers to analyze the cells’ safety, reliability, and robustness. Results indicated not much deterioration in capacities. Additionally, when the cell was bent and tested for long performance; a stable discharge capacity (270 mAh/g @ 1 A/g) was obtained after 250 cycles, thus attesting to excellent cycling stability. The successful working of the fabricated cell was validated by lighting up an LED. The successful findings presented in this study can chart new pathways to the development of safe, flexible, cost-effective, and more environmentally responsible alternative energy storage sources for wearables.