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Journal ArticleDOI

Issues and challenges facing rechargeable lithium batteries

15 Nov 2001-Nature (NATURE)-Vol. 414, Iss: 6861, pp 359-367
TL;DR: A brief historical review of the development of lithium-based rechargeable batteries is presented, ongoing research strategies are highlighted, and the challenges that remain regarding the synthesis, characterization, electrochemical performance and safety of these systems are discussed.
Abstract: Technological improvements in rechargeable solid-state batteries are being driven by an ever-increasing demand for portable electronic devices. Lithium-ion batteries are the systems of choice, offering high energy density, flexible and lightweight design, and longer lifespan than comparable battery technologies. We present a brief historical review of the development of lithium-based rechargeable batteries, highlight ongoing research strategies, and discuss the challenges that remain regarding the synthesis, characterization, electrochemical performance and safety of these systems.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The main roles of material science in the development of LIBs are discussed, with a statement of caution for the current modern battery research along with a brief discussion on beyond lithium-ion battery chemistries.
Abstract: Over the past 30 years, significant commercial and academic progress has been made on Li-based battery technologies. From the early Li-metal anode iterations to the current commercial Li-ion batteries (LIBs), the story of the Li-based battery is full of breakthroughs and back tracing steps. This review will discuss the main roles of material science in the development of LIBs. As LIB research progresses and the materials of interest change, different emphases on the different subdisciplines of material science are placed. Early works on LIBs focus more on solid state physics whereas near the end of the 20th century, researchers began to focus more on the morphological aspects (surface coating, porosity, size, and shape) of electrode materials. While it is easy to point out which specific cathode and anode materials are currently good candidates for the next-generation of batteries, it is difficult to explain exactly why those are chosen. In this review, for the reader a complete developmental story of LIB should be clearly drawn, along with an explanation of the reasons responsible for the various technological shifts. The review will end with a statement of caution for the current modern battery research along with a brief discussion on beyond lithium-ion battery chemistries.

2,867 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Hollow micro-/nanostructures are of great interest in many current and emerging areas of technology as discussed by the authors, and a comprehensive overview of synthetic strategies for hollow structures is presented.
Abstract: Hollow micro-/nanostructures are of great interest in many current and emerging areas of technology. Perhaps the best-known example of the former is the use of fly-ash hollow particles generated from coal power plants as partial replacement for Portland cement, to produce concrete with enhanced strength and durability. This review is devoted to the progress made in the last decade in synthesis and applications of hollow micro-/nanostructures. We present a comprehensive overview of synthetic strategies for hollow structures. These strategies are broadly categorized into four themes, which include well-established approaches, such as conventional hard-templating and soft-templating methods, as well as newly emerging methods based on sacrificial templating and template-free synthesis. Success in each has inspired multiple variations that continue to drive the rapid evolution of the field. The Review therefore focuses on the fundamentals of each process, pointing out advantages and disadvantages where appropriate. Strategies for generating more complex hollow structures, such as rattle-type and nonspherical hollow structures, are also discussed. Applications of hollow structures in lithium batteries, catalysis and sensing, and biomedical applications are reviewed.

2,767 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a background overview and discuss the state of the art, ion-transport mechanisms and fundamental properties of solid-state electrolyte materials of interest for energy storage applications.
Abstract: Solid-state electrolytes are attracting increasing interest for electrochemical energy storage technologies. In this Review, we provide a background overview and discuss the state of the art, ion-transport mechanisms and fundamental properties of solid-state electrolyte materials of interest for energy storage applications. We focus on recent advances in various classes of battery chemistries and systems that are enabled by solid electrolytes, including all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries and emerging solid-electrolyte lithium batteries that feature cathodes with liquid or gaseous active materials (for example, lithium–air, lithium–sulfur and lithium–bromine systems). A low-cost, safe, aqueous electrochemical energy storage concept with a ‘mediator-ion’ solid electrolyte is also discussed. Advanced battery systems based on solid electrolytes would revitalize the rechargeable battery field because of their safety, excellent stability, long cycle lives and low cost. However, great effort will be needed to implement solid-electrolyte batteries as viable energy storage systems. In this context, we discuss the main issues that must be addressed, such as achieving acceptable ionic conductivity, electrochemical stability and mechanical properties of the solid electrolytes, as well as a compatible electrolyte/electrode interface. This Review details recent advances in battery chemistries and systems enabled by solid electrolytes, including all-solid-state lithium-ion, lithium–air, lithium–sulfur and lithium–bromine batteries, as well as an aqueous battery concept with a mediator-ion solid electrolyte.

2,749 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that controlled cation non-stoichiometry combined with solid-solution doping by metals supervalent to Li+ increases the electronic conductivity of LiFePO4 by a factor of ∼108, which may allow development of lithium batteries with the highest power density yet.
Abstract: Lithium transition metal phosphates have become of great interest as storage cathodes for rechargeable lithium batteries because of their high energy density, low raw materials cost, environmental friendliness and safety. Their key limitation has been extremely low electronic conductivity, until now believed to be intrinsic to this family of compounds. Here we show that controlled cation non-stoichiometry combined with solid-solution doping by metals supervalent to Li+ increases the electronic conductivity of LiFePO4 by a factor of approximately 10(8). The resulting materials show near-theoretical energy density at low charge/discharge rates, and retain significant capacity with little polarization at rates as high as 6,000 mA x g(-1). In a conventional cell design, they may allow development of lithium batteries with the highest power density yet.

2,707 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The latest progress in supercapacitors in charge storage mechanisms, electrode materials, electrolyte materials, systems, characterization methods, and applications are reviewed and the newly developed charge storage mechanism for intercalative pseudocapacitive behaviour is clarified for comparison.
Abstract: Electrochemical capacitors (i.e. supercapacitors) include electrochemical double-layer capacitors that depend on the charge storage of ion adsorption and pseudo-capacitors that are based on charge storage involving fast surface redox reactions. The energy storage capacities of supercapacitors are several orders of magnitude higher than those of conventional dielectric capacitors, but are much lower than those of secondary batteries. They typically have high power density, long cyclic stability and high safety, and thus can be considered as an alternative or complement to rechargeable batteries in applications that require high power delivery or fast energy harvesting. This article reviews the latest progress in supercapacitors in charge storage mechanisms, electrode materials, electrolyte materials, systems, characterization methods, and applications. In particular, the newly developed charge storage mechanism for intercalative pseudocapacitive behaviour, which bridges the gap between battery behaviour and conventional pseudocapacitive behaviour, is also clarified for comparison. Finally, the prospects and challenges associated with supercapacitors in practical applications are also discussed.

2,698 citations

References
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Journal ArticleDOI
28 Sep 2000-Nature
TL;DR: It is reported that electrodes made of nanoparticles of transition-metal oxides (MO), where M is Co, Ni, Cu or Fe, demonstrate electrochemical capacities of 700 mA h g-1, with 100% capacity retention for up to 100 cycles and high recharging rates.
Abstract: Rechargeable solid-state batteries have long been considered an attractive power source for a wide variety of applications, and in particular, lithium-ion batteries are emerging as the technology of choice for portable electronics. One of the main challenges in the design of these batteries is to ensure that the electrodes maintain their integrity over many discharge-recharge cycles. Although promising electrode systems have recently been proposed, their lifespans are limited by Li-alloying agglomeration or the growth of passivation layers, which prevent the fully reversible insertion of Li ions into the negative electrodes. Here we report that electrodes made of nanoparticles of transition-metal oxides (MO, where M is Co, Ni, Cu or Fe) demonstrate electrochemical capacities of 700 mA h g(-1), with 100% capacity retention for up to 100 cycles and high recharging rates. The mechanism of Li reactivity differs from the classical Li insertion/deinsertion or Li-alloying processes, and involves the formation and decomposition of Li2O, accompanying the reduction and oxidation of metal nanoparticles (in the range 1-5 nanometres) respectively. We expect that the use of transition-metal nanoparticles to enhance surface electrochemical reactivity will lead to further improvements in the performance of lithium-ion batteries.

7,404 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a new system LixCoO2 (0 Li x CoO 2 Li ) is proposed, which shows low overvoltages and good reversibility for current densities up to 4 mA cm−2 over a large range of x.

2,960 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Jul 1998-Nature
TL;DR: In this article, the authors showed that nanometre-sized ceramic powders can be used as solid plasticizers for polyethylene oxide (PEO) electrolytes to prevent crystallization on annealing from amorphous state above 60°C.
Abstract: Ionically conducting polymer membranes (polymer electrolytes) might enhance lithium-battery technology by replacing the liquid electrolyte currently in use and thereby enabling the fabrication of flexible, compact, laminated solid-state structures free from leaks and available in varied geometries1. Polymer electrolytes explored for these purposes are commonly complexes of a lithium salt (LiX) with a high-molecular-weight polymer such as polyethylene oxide (PEO). But PEO tends to crystallize below 60 °C, whereas fast ion transport is a characteristic of the amorphous phase. So the conductivity of PEO–LiX electrolytes reaches practically useful values (of about 10−4 S cm−1) only at temperatures of 60–80 °C. The most common approach for lowering the operational temperature has been to add liquid plasticizers, but this promotes deterioration of the electrolyte's mechanical properties and increases its reactivity towards the lithium metal anode. Here we show that nanometre-sized ceramic powders can perform as solid plasticizers for PEO, kinetically inhibiting crystallization on annealing from the amorphous state above 60 °C. We demonstrate conductivities of around 10−4 S cm−1 at 50 °C and 10−5 S cm−1 at 30 °C in a PEO–LiClO4 mixture containing powders of TiO2 and Al2O3 with particle sizes of 5.8–13 nm. Further optimization might lead to practical solid-state polymer electrolytes for lithium batteries.

2,695 citations


"Issues and challenges facing rechar..." refers background in this paper

  • ...The addition of nanoparticle fillers (10% w/w), such as Al 2 O 3 or TiO 2 , to simple PEO compounds increases the conductivity several-fold at 60–80 °C, and prevents crystallization for at least several weeks at room temperatur...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
30 May 1997-Science
TL;DR: A tin-based amorphous composite oxide (TCO) was synthesized in this paper to replace the carbon-based lithium intercalation materials currently in extensive use as the negative electrode (anode) of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.
Abstract: A high-capacity lithium-storage material in metal-oxide form has been synthesized that can replace the carbon-based lithium intercalation materials currently in extensive use as the negative electrode (anode) of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. This tin-based amorphous composite oxide (TCO) contains Sn(II)-O as the active center for lithium insertion and other glass-forming elements, which make up an oxide network. The TCO anode yields a specific capacity for reversible lithium adsorption more than 50 percent higher than those of the carbon families that persists after charge-discharge cycling when coupled with a lithium cobalt oxide cathode. Lithium-7 nuclear magnetic resonance measurements evidenced the high ionic state of lithium retained in the charged state, in which TCO accepted 8 moles of lithium ions per unit mole.

2,470 citations


"Issues and challenges facing rechar..." refers background in this paper

  • ...5 V, and has a specific capacity twice that of graphit...

    [...]

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Nov 1973-Polymer

2,110 citations


"Issues and challenges facing rechar..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Nevertheless, a principal goal has been to search for new, highly conductive salts with a large electrochemical window, which form a eutectic composition with PEO that melts at the lowest possible temperatur...

    [...]

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Issues and challenges facing rechargeable lithium batteries

The paper discusses the challenges in the synthesis, characterization, electrochemical performance, and safety of rechargeable lithium batteries.