Overview
Conventionally, lithium-ion batteries use flammable organic liquids as electrolytes which pose a safety concern and it explains the recently reported accidents with Tesla, Samsung Galaxy and the Dreamliner. Efforts are therefore underway to improve their safety by eliminating the flammable content. Among many explored options, replacing the organic liquid electrolytes with solid inorganic ones has been considered viable because of their non-flammability, high energy density and wide electrochemical stability. Though promising, the integrity between solid electrolytes and the electrodes in the resulting solid-state batteries is critical. This is because, unlike their liquid counterparts, the poor solid interface affects charge transfer which deteriorates battery performance. With the highlighted drawbacks, the ideal electrolyte for Li-ion batteries is yet to be developed forming the basis for this innovation
Lead investigator: Prof. E.M, Erik, Kelder
Team members: Ms Susan Waiyego Karuga, Prof. Michael James Gatari
Principal Investigator
Abstract
Conventionally, lithium-ion batteries use flammable organic liquids as electrolytes which pose a safety concern and it explains the recently reported accidents with Tesla, Samsung Galaxy and the Dreamliner. Efforts are therefore underway to improve their safety by eliminating the flammable content. Among many explored options, replacing the organic liquid electrolytes with solid inorganic ones has been considered viable because of their non-flammability, high energy density and wide electrochemical stability. Though promising, the integrity between solid electrolytes and the electrodes in the resulting solid-state batteries is critical. This is because, unlike their liquid counterparts, the poor solid interface affects charge transfer which deteriorates battery performance. With the highlighted drawbacks, the ideal electrolyte for Li-ion batteries is yet to be developed forming the basis for this innovation.
Lead investigator: Prof. E.M, Erik, Kelder
Team members: Ms Susan Waiyego Karuga, Prof. Michael James Gatari
