Battery designs are swiftly changing from metal-ion to rechargeable metal batteries with improved energy density.
Now, scientists at Rice University introduced a technique to tune the surface of anodes for batteries by simply brushing powders into them. The powder adheres to the anode and becomes a thin, lithiated coating that effectively prevents the formation of damaging dendrites.
The technique begins with the brushing of the anode to give it texture, then brushing in powder of phosphorous and sulfur to create the fine film that reacts with the lithium metal and forms a solid passivation layer. The powders effectively tune the surface energy of the electrodes, making for a more uniform behavior across the material.
Brushing metal powders into the surface of lithium anodes shows promise to curb the threat of dendrites damaging recyclable batteries. Credit: Rice…
Brushing thin films onto electrodes gives batteries a longer life
