Speaker
Description
The development of energy storage technologies, such as rechargeable batteries, is crucial for the transition to a sustainable energy supply. Lithium-ion batteries have already proven to be an effective means of energy storage, which is illustrated by their wide application ranging from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. Unfortunately, Li-ion batteries suffer from safety issues arising from their combustible organic electrolytes. All-solid-state batteries, in which the common liquid organic electrolyte is replaced by a solid electrolyte, could potentially lead to safer batteries with increased energy density.
Metal hydrides (e.g. LiBH$_{4}$) have gained attention as promising solid electrolytes due to their electrochemical and thermal stability, low density and high ionic conductivity at elevated temperatures. However, sufficient conductivity at ambient temperatures remains a challenge. Fortunately, it was shown that the room temperature conductivity can be enhanced via two methods: partial ionic substitution and nanoconfinement.$^{[1,2]}$
In this contribution, we will show a conductivity enhancement approach in which both methods are successfully combined to obtain high ionic conductivities at moderate temperatures. Specifically, via partial ion substitution, followed by confinement in a nanoporous metal oxide, LiBH$_4$-LiNH$_2$/oxide nanocomposites with excellent ionic conductivity were obtained. The ionic conductivity of nanocomposites electrolytes is strongly influenced by the chemical and physical nature of the nanoporous metal oxide, leading to conductivity variation up to three orders of magnitude. We will discuss how the conductivity of the both LiBH$_4$- and LiBH$_4$-LiNH$_2$ nanocomposite electrolytes can be optimized by tuning both the physical and chemical properties of the metal oxide nanoscaffolds.
References
- Maekawa, Hideki, et al. Journal of the American Chemical Society 131.3 (2009): 894-895.
- Blanchard, Didier, et al. Advanced Functional Materials 25.2 (2015): 184-192
| Speaker Country | the Netherlands |
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