Printable Lithium - LIOVIXTM Assisted All Solid-State Lithium-Ion and Lithium-Metal Batteries for Enhanced Electrochemical Properties

All solid-state lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries, which utilize a solid electrolyte in place of liquid electrolytes, are considered next-generation devices for energy storage due to their advantages in safety and potentially higher energy density. However, currently many solid-state lithium-ion and lithium-metal batteries are limited by their low Coulombic efficiency, poor power performance, and short cycling life due to the high resistance at the solid-state interfaces. Because of the diverse physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of various solid components in all solid-state batteries as well as the nature of solid-solid contact, many types of interfaces are present in a solid-state battery that can result in loose physical contact, formation of grain boundaries, and undesired chemical and electrochemical side reactions. All of these contribute to increasing resistance at the interface, which diminishes the cell performance, making solid state batteries not suitable for practical application. LIOVIXTM is a unique printable formulation of lithium metal and other specialty materials, which can be used in both lithium-ion and lithium metal-based rechargeable batteries. In the case of lithium-ion batteries, it can be printed on a range of anode materials including silicon-containing anodes for the pre-lithiation process to improve the first cycle columbic efficiency and cell performance. In the case of lithium metal-based batteries, LIOVIXTM can be printed directly onto the current collectors or solid electrolyte separators to fabricate all solid-state batteries utilizing printed lithium metal anodes. This approach has the potential to enable improved performance, safety, recyclability, and lower cost compared to the current advanced lithium-ion systems. In both categories, printable lithium formulation can reduce the interface resistance between the anode and solid electrolyte layer, which enhances the cell performance enabling practical application. The printable lithium formulation is easily scalable using industry standard coating and printing equipment and is adaptable to any anode or cathode chemistry where an independent source of lithium is required. In addition, the lithium loading can be accurately controlled based on the applications’ requirements. We have demonstrated improved electrochemical performance of silicon containing anodes with liquid electrolytes in a full cell format. The present work will demonstrate the concept of all solid-state batteries incorporating printable lithium with enhanced electrochemical properties compared to conventional solid-state batteries.