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Abstract Lithium metal (Li0) solid‐state batteries encounter implementation challenges due to dendrite formation, side reactions, and movement of the electrode–electrolyte interface in cycling. Notably, voids and cracks formed during battery fabrication/operation are hot spots for failure. Here, a self‐healing, flowable yet solid electrolyte composed of mobile ceramic crystals embedded in a reconfigurable polymer network is reported. This electrolyte can auto‐repair voids and cracks through a two‐step self‐healing process that occurs at a fast rate of 5.6 µm h−1. A dynamical phase diagram is generated, showing the material can switch between liquid and solid forms in response to external strain rates. The flowability of the electrolyte allows it to accommodate the electrode volume change during Li0stripping. Simultaneously, the electrolyte maintains a solid form with high tensile strength (0.28 MPa), facilitating the regulation of mossy Li0deposition. The chemistries and kinetics are studied by operando synchrotron X‐ray and in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Solid‐state NMR reveals a dual‐phase ion conduction pathway and rapid Li+diffusion through the stable polymer‐ceramic interphase. This designed electrolyte exhibits extended cycling life in Li0–Li0cells, reaching 12 000 h at 0.2 mA cm−2and 5000 h at 0.5 mA cm−2. Furthermore, owing to its high critical current density of 9 mA cm−2, the Li0–LiNi0.8Mn0.1Co0.1O2(NMC811) full cell demonstrates stable cycling at 5 mA cm−2for 1100 cycles, retaining 88% of its capacity, even under near‐zero stack pressure conditions.
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This content will become publicly available on December 1, 2025
A self-healing plastic ceramic electrolyte by an aprotic dynamic polymer network for lithium metal batteries
Abstract Oxide ceramic electrolytes (OCEs) have great potential for solid-state lithium metal (Li0) battery applications because, in theory, their high elastic modulus provides better resistance to Li0dendrite growth. However, in practice, OCEs can hardly survive critical current densities higher than 1 mA/cm2. Key issues that contribute to the breakdown of OCEs include Li0penetration promoted by grain boundaries (GBs), uncontrolled side reactions at electrode-OCE interfaces, and, equally importantly, defects evolution (e.g., void growth and crack propagation) that leads to local current concentration and mechanical failure inside and on OCEs. Here, taking advantage of a dynamically crosslinked aprotic polymer with non-covalent –CH3⋯CF3bonds, we developed a plastic ceramic electrolyte (PCE) by hybridizing the polymer framework with ionically conductive ceramics. Using in-situ synchrotron X-ray technique and Cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (Cryo-TEM), we uncover that the PCE exhibits self-healing/repairing capability through a two-step dynamic defects removal mechanism. This significantly suppresses the generation of hotspots for Li0penetration and chemomechanical degradations, resulting in durability beyond 2000 hours in Li0-Li0cells at 1 mA/cm2. Furthermore, by introducing a polyacrylate buffer layer between PCE and Li0-anode, long cycle life >3600 cycles was achieved when paired with a 4.2 V zero-strain cathode, all under near-zero stack pressure.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2011967
- PAR ID:
- 10590627
- Publisher / Repository:
- Springer Nature
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Nature Communications
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2041-1723
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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