Gallium-based liquid metals for lithium-ion batteries

Abstract

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are one of the most exciting inventions of the 20th century and have been widely employed in modern society. LIBs have powered many of our electronics, such as laptop computers, smartphones, and even large-scale energy storage systems. With the development of modern technology, next-generation LIBs with higher energy density are in demand. A number of electrode materials with high theoretical capacity, including Sn, Si, Li metal anode, and S cathode materials, have been explored. Nevertheless, they usually suffer from structural or interface failure during cycling, limiting their practical application. Ga-based liquid metals (LMs) possess self-healing capability, fluidity, and metallic advantages so they have been employed as self-healing skeletons or interfacial protective layers to minimize the negative impact of volume expansion or dendritic growth on the electrode materials. Herein, the features of Ga-based LMs are briefly discussed to indicate their potential for battery systems. In addition, recent developments on Ga-based LMs applied in LIBs have been summarized, including from the aspects of anodes, cathodes, and electrolytes. Finally, future opportunities and challenges for the development of Ga-based LMs in LIBs are highlighted.