Scale-up processing of a safe quasi-solid-state lithium battery by cathode-supported solid electrolyte coating

A solid-state lithium metal battery has been considered as a promising next-generation energy storage system for its high safety. Great challenges remain for the scale-up fabrication of solid-state Li batteries with the current manufacturing facility used for liquid Li-ion batteries. In this work, a scale-up route is employed to fabricate quasi-solid-state Li batteries by cathode-supported coating of a solid electrolyte combined with in-situ polymerization for interfacial modification. A Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) layer with a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) binder is coated on the LiCoO2 cathode as the solid electrolyte. A iquid electrolyte containing a poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMEA) monomer is injected during the battery fabrication process followed by in-situ polymerization. The in-situ formed gel electrolyte acts as a soft interface to enhance the contact between the electrode and the solid electrolyte. A coin-type quasi-solid-state Li||LiCoO2 battery delivers a high capacity of 122 mAh g−1 and retains 81% of its initial capacity after 100 cycles at 0.5 C and 60 °C. A pouch-type Li||LiCoO2 battery is also fabricated using a commercial LiCoO2 electrode and shows a satisfactory safety performance and stable cycling at 0.5 C.