Solid state battery design charges in minutes, lasts for thousands of cycles Research paves the way for better lithium metal batteries.Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science Leah Burrows | January 8, 2024    Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new lithium metal battery that can be charged and discharged at least 6,000 times — more than any other pouch battery cell — and can be recharged in a matter of minutes.The research not only describes a new way to make solid state batteries with a lithium metal anode but also offers new understanding into the materials used for these potentially revolutionary batteries.  The research is published in Nature Materials. “Lithium metal anode batteries are considered the holy grail of batteries because they have ten times the capacity of commercial graphite anodes and could drastically increase the driving distance of electric vehicles,” said Xin Li, Associate Professor of Materials Science at SEAS and senior author of the paper. “Our research is an important step toward more practical solid state batteries for industrial and commercial applications.” One of the biggest challenges in the design of these batteries is the formation of dendrites on the surface of the anode. These structures grow like roots into the electrolyte and pierce the barrier separating the anode and cathode, causing the battery to short or even catch fire.  Li and his team offered one way to deal with dendrites by designing a multilayer battery that sandwiched different materials of varying stabilities between the anode and cathode. This multilayer, multi-material design prevented the penetration of lithium dendrites not by stopping them altogether, but rather by controlling and containing them.  In this new research, Li and his team stop dendrites from forming by using micron-sized silicon particles in the anode to constrict the lithiation reaction and facilitate homogeneous plating of a thick layer of lithium metal. In this design, when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode during charging, the lithiation reaction is constricted at the shallow surface and the ions attach to the surface of the silicon particle but don’t penetrate further. "In our design, lithium metal gets wrapped around the silicon particle, like a hard chocolate shell around a hazelnut core in a chocolate truffle,” said Li.  These coated particles create a homogenous surface across which the current density is evenly distributed, preventing the growth of dendrites. And, because plating and stripping can happen quickly on an even surface, the battery can recharge in only about 10 minutes. In this design, when lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode during charging, the lithiation reaction is constricted at the shallow surface and the ions attach to the surface of the silicon particle but don’t penetrate further. This is markedly different from the chemistry of liquid lithium ion batteries in which the lithium ions penetrate through deep lithiation reactions and ultimately destroy silicon particles in the anode.  But, in a solid state battery, the ions on the surface of the silicon are constricted and undergo the dynamic process of lithiation to form lithium metal plating around the core of silicon. “In our design, lithium metal gets wrapped around the silicon particle, like a hard chocolate shell around a hazelnut core in a chocolate truffle,” said Li.  These coated particles create a homogenous surface across which the current density is evenly distributed, preventing the growth of dendrites. And, because plating and stripping can happen quickly on an even surface, the battery can recharge in only about 10 minutes. Adden Energy, a Harvard spinoff company co-founded by Li and three Harvard alumni has scaled up the technology to build a smartphone-sized pouch cell battery......can car batteries be next?     https://seas.harvard.edu/news/2024/01/solid-state-battery-design-charges-minutes-lasts-thousands-cycles      

Record-breaking solar panels have scientists in shock  The world has been surprised by the arrival of the most powerful solar panel in history, so much so that we are going to have free electricity. This discovery was published in the scientific journal Science Advances and no one can stop talking about it. It represents a historic milestone towards the production of clean energy with sources other than exclusively eolic, what we call renewable diversification.

This is a development by researchers at Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg (MLU). The team achieved a complete breakthrough in solar panel technology. Jennifer Rup, materials scientist and professor at ETH Zurich, who is not associated with the study, was highly surprised. She said that this is “a very exciting discovery that could have a significant impact on the development of more efficient solar cells. The fact that the new material is also more durable and easier to produce than traditional silicon-based solar panels makes it even more promising”. The material that has already become a revolution in the industry is made of crystalline layers of various types of titanate, strontium and calcium arranged in a lattice structure. It is such a large object that it has left even its inventors surprised. It leaves out silicon, a common and inefficient material used in solar panels. The scientists themselves claim to have been speechless when they saw that the current flow was up to 1,000 times stronger. Its creators claim that it has exceeded all expectations imposed on it.             https://www.ecoticias.com/en/most-powerful-solar-panel/788/#:~:text=Electricity%20begins%20a%20new%20era,for%20an%20inefficient%20PN%20junction.                                                                  

Enabling Distributed Intelligence with Ferroelectric Multifunctionalities. Distributed intelligence involving a large number of smart sensors and edge computing are highly demanded under the backdrop of increasing cyber‐physical interactive applications including internet of things. Here, the progresses on ferroelectric materials and their enabled devices promising energy autonomous sensors and smart systems are reviewed, starting with an analysis on the basic characteristics of ferroelectrics, including high dielectric permittivity, switchable spontaneous polarization, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and bulk photovoltaic effects. As sensors, ferroelectrics can directly convert the stimuli to signals without requiring external power supply in principle. As energy transducers, ferroelectrics can harvest multiple forms of energy with high reliability and durability. As capacitors, ferroelectrics can directly store electrical charges with high power and ability of pulse‐mode signal generation. Nonvolatile memories derived from ferroelectrics are able to realize digital processors and systems with ultralow power consumption, sustainable operation with intermittent power supply, and neuromorphic computing. An emphasis is made on the utilization of the multiple extraordinary functionalities of ferroelectrics to enable material‐critical device innovations. The ferroelectric characteristics and synergistic functionality combinations are invaluable for realizing distributed sensors and smart systems with energy autonomy.        https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8728856/   

 Are solid-state batteries finally ready to live up to the hype? Harvard researchers have made a solid-state battery that charges in ten minutes and lasts for 30 years, but the much-hyped technology remains a long-horizon solution for the energy transition. Oliver GordonMarch 11, 2024 People are slowly but surely embracing electric vehicles (EVs), but the pace of that transition still needs to accelerate for the world to hit its net-zero emissions target in 2050. Despite the exponential improvements of EVs, many drivers are still reluctant to leave behind the convenience of their petrol-powered cars. Along with cost, concerns over a lack of charging stations and battery life were cited as the main barriers for US consumers buying an EV in an Ipsos Mori survey last year. For car manufacturers, much of this comes down to the persistent restrictions on range and longevity of the incumbent lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteriesunder EVs’ bonnets. However, a team of scientists at Harvard University believe they have taken an important step toward solving these quandaries. Researchers at the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have developed a new “solid-state” batterythat can charge in the time it takes to fill up a petrol tank, and endure 3–6 times more charge cycles than the typical EV battery. Solid-state batteries have long been considered the holy grail for a widespread transition to electrified transportation, and the race to commercialise them has sped up in recent years. The likes of Toyota and Volkswagen are developing their own versions, which they hope to get into vehicles by the end of the decade. With the boost of this latest innovation from Harvard, are solid-state batteries finally ready to live up to their hype? 
The benefits of solid over liquid electrolytes......Today, Li-ion batteries rule the roost; they are used in everything from mobile phones and laptops to EVs and energy storage systems. Researchers and manufacturers have driven down the price of Li-ion batteries by 90% over the past decade and believe they can make them cheaper still. They also believe they can make an even betterlithium battery. These batteries use a liquid electrolyte to move ions between a cathode and anode when discharging and charging. However, the liquid is flammable and prevents the addition of materials that extend the life of the battery. Researchers believe one solution would be to use solid instead of liquid electrolytes. These solid-state batteries promise a wide variety of advantages over their liquid-based counterparts. Above all, they offer a higher energy density; meaning they can store more energy per unit volume or weight, leading to either a longer battery life or smaller, lighter battery packs. They also promise a longer cycle life; withstanding more charge-discharge cycles without degrading, thereby increasing the lifespan of the battery. The use of a solid electrolyte also enables much faster charging without the risk of battery damage due to more efficient ion transport. Solid-state batteries can operate across a wider temperature range than liquid-based batteries, allowing for better use in extreme weather. They are generally considered safer because a solid electrolyte reduces the risk of short circuits and overheating, which can lead to fires or explosions in liquid-based batteries. Finally, the solid electrolyte can be made from a wider range of cheaper and more environmentally friendly materials. Overall, solid-state batteries have the potential to revolutionise the battery industry by offering improved performance, safety and longevity compared with traditional lithium-ion batteries. “Because of their high energy density, solid-state batteries will be most appropriate for EVs rather than [stationary] energy storage systems, and can really be a key contributor to the electrification of heavy transport,” says Teo Lombardo, an energy modeller for transport at the International Energy Agency (IEA). 
“From the lab to the real world”........Not everyone is convinced, however. “The current challenge of solid-state batteries is implementation and scale-up, rather than getting something even better at the cell level,” says Lombardo.......read on         https://www.energymonitor.ai/tech/energy-storage/are-solid-state-batteries-finally-ready-to-live-up-to-the-hype/?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2024-03-13&utm_campaign=Daily+Briefing+12+03+2024&cf-view&cf-view  

Zero Carbon: Kicking the hornet’s nest Chris Hatch | Opinion | March 12th 2024 It’s time for a serious look at shading the Earth, say the Swiss. Switzerland kicked the hornet’s nest of geoengineering with an official proposal at the UN Environment Assembly’s latest gathering in Nairobi.The Swiss wanted the UN to set up an expert group to study “the risks, benefits and uncertainties” of blocking some of the sun’s rays using techniques of solar radiation modification (SRM). The most common suggestion is to inject sulphur aerosols into the atmosphere and reflect some fraction of the sun’s heat before it hits the Earth. The proposal provoked fierce opposition, especially from African nations, which countered with a demand for a “non-use” agreement on SRM. After some cantankerous debate, nothing was agreed. Switzerland ultimately pulled its proposal, saying, “At least we managed to start a global conversation about this important topic.”In truth, that conversation is already well underway. In the past several months, climate engineering has been part of reports and research strategies issued by the U.S. government, as well as the European Commission and the European Parliament. There’s a Climate Overshoot Commission studying geoengineering chaired by the former head of the WTO that includes Kim Campbell, who was (briefly) Canada’s 19th prime minister. Luminaries of climate science like James Hansen are calling for intensified research and there are now institutes at various universities and scientific conferences dedicated to the topic. It’s a hornet’s nest even in academic circles where some scientists say we’d better get our emergency options figured out, while others think we’re already running too many geoengineering experiments altering the atmosphere with heat-trapping gasses.  Almost everyone involved seems to think it’s a desperate idea. Tempered by the fact that we’re headed into desperate territory. “Solar radiation management is both a terrifying, terrible idea and an absolutely inevitable future,” says Nils Gilman, editor at Noema Magazine......read on