CAREER: Understanding the Formation of Pore-Free Interlayers through Automated in situ Diagnosis to Tame Lithium Metal

About This Grant

Next generation electric vehicles will require batteries that have a higher energy storage capacity than current lithium-ion batteries for increased vehicle driving range and performance. One promising technology is based on a solid-state battery that uses lithium metal as the high energy storage anode. This battery design has potentially a very high energy storage density based upon the battery volume. However, a battery of this design may suffer from corrosion, which could cause short circuits, battery failure, and safety issues such as excessive heating. This project examines a new composite material, a metal-carbon mixed ionic-electronic conductor (c-MIEC), as a solution for overcoming corrosion issues. The project will educate students in cutting-edge in situ diagnostic technologies, machine-learning algorithms, and advancements in solid-state electrochemical battery energy systems. It will focus on serving K-12 students from a broad range of Houston area schools through STEM outreach programs, provide research opportunities for undergraduates at the University of Houston, and offer interdisciplinary training for graduate students. These efforts will help inspire a future workforce in STEM fields. This project will bridge the knowledge gap in the formation and optimization of pore-free c-MIEC interlayers, enhancing their reliability and cost-effectiveness to promote the progress of solid-state lithium metal battery science. The research will systematically address the interfacial challenges in solid-state lithium metal batteries by focusing on the formation of pore-free c-MIEC interlayers. The project will combine automatic in situ diagnosis technologies, machine-learning methodologies, and multiphysics modeling. This integrated approach will facilitate automated data acquisition, quantitative analysis, and process prediction of lithium metal plating and stripping behaviors under various interlayer lithiation pore-filling status. By quantifying the lithiation pore-filling process and elucidating its intricate correlations with the interlayer's physicochemical properties, the research will establish critical microstructure-property-function relationships necessary for optimizing efficient pore-free interlayers. Specific objectives include: (1) measure, analyze, and understand microstructural and chemical evolutions of interlayer during lithiation, (2) measure and understand electrochemical and mechanical evolutions of interlayer during lithiation, (3) integrate experimental findings into predictive modeling. By addressing key interfacial instabilities and advancing diagnostic methodologies, this project will enhance the performance and scalability of solid-state lithium metal batteries. Furthermore, the insights gained will extend to post-lithium systems, providing a robust foundation for transformative energy storage technologies that align with sustainability goals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.