University of Chicago researchers are focusing on a previously overlooked factor to enhance battery performance – the texture of metals used. Prof. Shirley Meng of the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and her team have identified how the "grain orientation, also known as the texture" of metals like lithium and sodium impact the performance of rechargeable metal batteries.
A paper from Meng's laboratory, in collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific, highlights findings that improving the metal's texture can significantly enhance battery performance. "In our work, we discovered that adding a thin layer of silicon between lithium metal and the current collector helps create the desired texture," stated UChicago PME Research Associate Professor Minghao Zhang, the paper's first author. This modification increased the battery’s rate capability by nearly ten times in all-solid-state configurations using lithium metal.
The research underscores that a battery anode with an ideal texture allows for faster atomic movement across the surface plane, resulting in quicker charging and discharging. Zhang mentioned, "We realized that differences in soft metal’s surface energy can really change the way it’s textured." This insight inspired further exploration of power densities by adjusting the textures of soft metals.
Utilizing advanced microscopy techniques, such as plasma focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope paired with electron backscatter diffraction mapping, the team investigated the texture in novel ways. The collaboration with LG Energy Solution’s Frontier Research Laboratory aims to commercialize this technology. The study is also set to investigate sodium as an anode substitute, potentially leading to breakthroughs in energy storage.
"Because we now understand how the texture forms in soft metals, we predict that sodium metal prefers to have texture for fast atomic diffusion," Zhang added, suggesting a promising future for sodium in battery technology.
This research received support from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Basic Energy Sciences, LG, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.
Citation: “Grain selection growth of soft metal in electrochemical processes,” Zhang et al, Joule, Feb. 10, 2025.