Publication date: 14th September 2021
This project will investigate the performance of different ultra-thin coatings in protecting the anode electrodes of battery coin cells against dendrite formation and parasitic side reactions with electrolytes. Current methods of Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) have managed to successfully double the cycle life of Lithium metal anodes. This project will investigate an alternative method, Molecular Vapour Deposition (MVD). Unlike ALD, MVD is easily scalable and therefore highly likely to be commercialised by the battery manufacturing industry if successfully proven to work. This will require the investigation of various thin film materials (currently Al2O3, ZnO) and how their coating on anodes affects cycling performance of our test coin cells. Performance will be determined using sophisticated characterisation techniques such as Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Spectroscopy (XPS)