Stress engineering for crack and dendrite prevention in solid electrolytes via ion implantation
Solid-state batteries represent a promising technology that offers safer and more densely packed energy storage. A primary cause of failure in solid-state cells is the penetration of metal dendrites through the solid electrolyte. Here, we report that fluorine-ion implantation can enhance the mechanical resistance of solid electrolyte Li<sub>6.5</sub>La<sub>3</sub>Zr<sub>1.5</sub>Ta<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>12</sub> to dendrite propagation by inducing residual compressive stress in the subsurface of the electrolyte. Ion implantation modifies subsurface residual stress and also alters the electrolyte’s surface, resulting in multifunctional enhancement. The combined chemical and mechanical effects of ion implantation enable reversible lithium metal stripping and plating at elevated current densities while enhancing air stability and mitigating the formation of a harmful carbonate layer at the surface. This study provides new insights into a scalable dendrite-suppression strategy for designing solid-state batteries suitable for cycling at room temperature and low stack pressures.
Authors
- Marco Di Michiel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1039-3579)
- Chunmei Ban (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1472-1496)
- Kaitlin Garman
- Stephen J. Harris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5211-3934)
- Matthew Chancey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9689-3736)
- Donal P. Finegan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4633-560X)
- Yongqiang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2938-5640)
- Yangyang Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6648-1260)
- Wei Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6888-3338)
- Charlotte Thomas
Institutions
- Albemarle (United States) (US)
- National Laboratory of the Rockies (US)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (US)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- Hubei University of Automotive Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cell Reports Physical Science
- Published
- 2025-04-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.102544
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.19
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- U.S. Department of Defense
- U.S. Department of Energy
- Colorado School of Mines
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
- Office of Science
- National Nuclear Security Administration
- University of Colorado Boulder
- National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Los Alamos National Laboratory