University Research

Polymer electrolyte to increase energy density of Lithium ion Battery - Penn State University

Novel polymer to increase energy density, stability of lithium-ion batteries

Researchers have developed a novel method that could enable the widespread use of silicon-based anodes, which allow electricity to enter a device, in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Silicon has been identified as a promising anode material for the next generation of lithium-ion batteries, but research has shown the material becomes very unstable during cycling.
As the battery completes its power cycle, silicon in the battery anode significantly expands and contracts, which limits its potential for commercial adoption.
These repeated volume changes during the charging and discharging process, known as lithiation and delithiation, eventually results in structural damage within the cell. Over time, the effects of this degradation could contribute to instability, such as explosions, and decreased battery life.
However, the researchers adopted a new strategy that allows the silicon to retain the elasticity that enables superior energy transfer, while also maintaining the ultimate integrity of the battery’s electrode.
If the silicon-based anode is surrounded with a cushion of a supremely elastic gel polymer electrolyte (GPE), it allows the silicon to remain stable, so the particles won’t displace within the electrode.