Fast-charging all-solid-state battery cathodes with long cycle life

Doerrer C, Gao X, Bu J, Wheeler S, Pasta M, Bruce PG, Grant PS

Many battery applications target fast charging to achieve an 80 % rise in state of charge (SOC) in < 15 min. However, in the case of all-solid-state batteries (SSBs), they typically take several hours to reach 80 % SOC while retaining a high specific energy of 400 W h kgcell−1. We specify design strategies for fast-charging SSB cathodes with long cycle life and investigate the fast-charging capability of a sulfide-based single crystal Li-Ni-Mn-Co oxide composite cathode. At 30 °C and charging at 15 mA cm−2, a specific capacity of 150 mA h g−1 was achieved in ∼8 min, with 81 % capacity retention after 3000 cycles. Critically, a 3-electrode arrangement was used to avoid the common problem of overcharging at high current densities. By following the design strategy and optimized manufacturing, a 210 µm thick cathode was able to be charged at an extraordinary current density of 50 mA cm−2 to reach an areal capacity of 8 mA h cm−2 in only 10 min, suggesting practical cathodes for SSBs with 400 W h kgcell−1 may be within reach.