A High-Energy Solid State Battery with an Extremely Long Cycle Life

A high-voltage (5V) solid state battery has been demonstrated to have an extremely long cycle life of over 10,000 cycles. For a given size of battery, the energy stored in a battery is proportional to its voltage. Conventional lithium-ion batteries use organic liquid electrolytes that have a maximum operating voltage of 4.3 V. Operating a battery above this limit causes short cycle life and serious safety concerns.

This work demonstrates that replacing the conventional liquid electrolyte with a ceramic solid electrolyte of lithium phosphorus oxynitride (Lipon) eliminates the limit of conventional lithium-ion batteries. A model battery of LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄/Lipon/Li has been operated over 10,000 cycles at a charge voltage to 5.1V.  The solid state battery retains more than 90% of its original capacity after 10,000 cycles. Such a battery has a cycling lifetime of more than 27 years with a daily charge/discharge cycle, exceeding the lifetime of most devices and even vehicles. This work infuses new life into the existing chemistry of high-voltage lithium batteries.  

Juchuan Li, Cheng Ma, Miaofang Chi, Chengdu Liang, and Nancy J. Dudney, “Solid electrolyte: the key for high-voltage lithium batteries,” Advanced Energy Materials (2014).   http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201401408

 

For more information