Coating Extends Lithium Metal Battery Life

The rechargeable lithium metal battery has been plagued by short life expectancy and occasional fires. To combat these problems, a new coating significantly extends the battery’s life. To deal with the combustion issue, the coating greatly limits the tiny needlelike structures — or dendrites — that pierce the separator between the battery’s positive and negative sides. In addition to ruining the battery, dendrites can create a short circuit within the battery’s flammable liquid. Lithium-ion batteries occasionally have the same problem but dendrites have been a non-starter for lithium metal rechargeable batteries to date. Dendrites also have prevented lithium metal batteries from being used in what may be the next generation of electric vehicles.