Metal plating-based electrical energy storage cell
The present disclosure provides an electrochemical storage cell including a battery. The battery includes an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy, an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A 3-x H x OX, in which 0≤x≤1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide, and a cathode including a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy. During operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal plates dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode. Also during operation of the electrochemical storage cell, the alkali metal further plates on the cathode current collector.
1. A method of operating an electrochemical storage cell comprising a battery comprising:
an alkali metal anode having an anode Fermi energy;
an electronically insulating, amorphous, dried solid electrolyte able to conduct alkali metal, having the general formula A 3-x ,H x OX, wherein 0 ≤x ≤1, A is the alkali metal, and X is at least one halide; and
a cathode comprising a cathode current collector having a cathode Fermi energy lower than the anode Fermi energy; and
a catalytic redox-center-relay material,
the method comprising:
plating the alkali metal dendrite-free from the solid electrolyte onto the alkali metal anode and,
plating the alkali metal on the cathode current collector with the aid of the catalytic redox-center-relay material.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal is lithium (Li).
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal is sodium (Na).
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte further comprises a glass-forming additive comprising at least one of Ba(OH) 2 , Sr(OH) 2 , Ca(OH) 2 , Mg(OH) 2 , Al(OH) 3 , BaO, SrO, CaO, MgO, Al, B 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , SiO 2 , S, and Li 2 S.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte further comprises less than 2 mole percent of a glass-forming additive.
6. The method of claim 1 , comprising storing power in the battery both chemically and electrostatically due to the solid electrolyte.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cathode current collector comprises a copper (Cu), silver (Ag), zinc (Zn), or gold (Au) metal, or an alloy thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic redox-center-relay material comprises sulfur.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic redox-center-relay material comprises ferrocene.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic redox-center-relay material comprises silicon.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic redox-center-relay material comprises a sulfide.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalytic redox-center-relay material comprises an oxide.