3D-Printing Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries

Dennis W McOwen; Shaomao Xu; Yunhui Gong; Yang Wen; Griffin L Godbey; Jack E Gritton; Tanner R Hamann; Jiaqi Dai; Gregory T Hitz; Liangbing Hu; Eric D Wachsman

doi:10.1002/adma.201707132

3D-Printing Electrolytes for Solid-State Batteries

Adv Mater. 2018 May;30(18):e1707132. doi: 10.1002/adma.201707132. Epub 2018 Mar 25.

Authors

Dennis W McOwen^{1

2}, Shaomao Xu^{1

2}, Yunhui Gong^{1

2}, Yang Wen^{1

2}, Griffin L Godbey^{1

2}, Jack E Gritton^{1

2}, Tanner R Hamann^{1

2}, Jiaqi Dai^{1

2}, Gregory T Hitz^{1

2}, Liangbing Hu^{1

2}, Eric D Wachsman^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.

PMID: 29575234
DOI: 10.1002/adma.201707132

Abstract

Solid-state batteries have many enticing advantages in terms of safety and stability, but the solid electrolytes upon which these batteries are based typically lead to high cell resistance. Both components of the resistance (interfacial, due to poor contact with electrolytes, and bulk, due to a thick electrolyte) are a result of the rudimentary manufacturing capabilities that exist for solid-state electrolytes. In general, solid electrolytes are studied as flat pellets with planar interfaces, which minimizes interfacial contact area. Here, multiple ink formulations are developed that enable 3D printing of unique solid electrolyte microstructures with varying properties. These inks are used to 3D-print a variety of patterns, which are then sintered to reveal thin, nonplanar, intricate architectures composed only of Li₇ La₃ Zr₂ O₁₂ solid electrolyte. Using these 3D-printing ink formulations to further study and optimize electrolyte structure could lead to solid-state batteries with dramatically lower full cell resistance and higher energy and power density. In addition, the reported ink compositions could be used as a model recipe for other solid electrolyte or ceramic inks, perhaps enabling 3D printing in related fields.

Keywords: 3D printing; additive manufacturing; lithium metal; solid electrolytes; solid-state batteries.