The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes

Michalak, Anna; Munnangi, Anji

doi:10.1039/d4se01698j

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The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes

Anna Michalak

, Anji Munnangi

Sustainable Energy & Fuels, Volume: 9, Issue: 6, Pages: 1545 - 1551

Swansea University Authors: Anna Michalak , Anji Munnangi

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DOI (Published version): 10.1039/d4se01698j

Abstract

There is a strong drive to use Li and Na metals as anode materials for lithium and sodium batteries due to their high specific energy. However, Li and Na metals are susceptible to dendrite growth and exhibit low melting points (180.5 °C for Li and 98 °C for Na). The low melting points can lead to in...

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Published in:	Sustainable Energy & Fuels
ISSN:	2398-4902
Published:	Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) 2025
Online Access:	Check full text
URI:	https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa68965

first_indexed	2025-02-26T10:11:31Z
last_indexed	2025-04-01T04:43:22Z
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spelling	2025-03-31T16:25:53.4319575 v2 68965 2025-02-26 The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes 6698ee175d629b1432e6e9bd919196bf 0009-0003-2168-4640 Anna Michalak Anna Michalak true false 3ed0b4f2ff4fb9e87c7a73e7a3c39da7 0000-0001-9101-0252 Anji Munnangi Anji Munnangi true false 2025-02-26 EAAS There is a strong drive to use Li and Na metals as anode materials for lithium and sodium batteries due to their high specific energy. However, Li and Na metals are susceptible to dendrite growth and exhibit low melting points (180.5 °C for Li and 98 °C for Na). The low melting points can lead to internal short-circuits and catastrophic failure of the battery. Here, we show that batteries using Li and Na metal electrodes are short-circuiting internally when the melting points of these metals are reached. We demonstrated this with four different solid electrolytes in lithium and sodium batteries, using symmetric-, half-, and anode-free cells and through extensive impedance measurements and direct visualisation via operando digital microscopy. The temperature required to melt these metals in batteries is often reached under various operating conditions. In light of these facts, using Li and Na metals as electrodes in commercial batteries should be reconsidered. Journal Article Sustainable Energy & Fuels 9 6 1545 1551 Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) 2398-4902 30 1 2025 2025-01-30 10.1039/d4se01698j COLLEGE NANME Engineering and Applied Sciences School COLLEGE CODE EAAS Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) Swansea University 2025-03-31T16:25:53.4319575 2025-02-26T10:01:16.5422452 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering Anna Michalak 0009-0003-2168-4640 1 Anji Munnangi 0000-0001-9101-0252 2 68965__33679__59b9618ba18b42f09b4de6c333cdafe5.pdf 68965.VOR.pdf 2025-02-26T10:07:21.4420304 Output 810679 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2025. This Open Access Article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence (CC BY). true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
title	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
spellingShingle	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes Anna Michalak Anji Munnangi
title_short	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
title_full	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
title_fullStr	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
title_full_unstemmed	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
title_sort	The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes
author_id_str_mv	6698ee175d629b1432e6e9bd919196bf 3ed0b4f2ff4fb9e87c7a73e7a3c39da7
author_id_fullname_str_mv	6698ee175d629b1432e6e9bd919196bf_*_Anna Michalak 3ed0b4f2ff4fb9e87c7a73e7a3c39da7_*_Anji Munnangi
author	Anna Michalak Anji Munnangi
author2	Anna Michalak Anji Munnangi
format	Journal article
container_title	Sustainable Energy & Fuels
container_volume	9
container_issue	6
container_start_page	1545
publishDate	2025
institution	Swansea University
issn	2398-4902
doi_str_mv	10.1039/d4se01698j
publisher	Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
college_str	Faculty of Science and Engineering
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hierarchy_parent_id	facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title	Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str	School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Engineering and Applied Sciences - Materials Science and Engineering
document_store_str	1
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description	There is a strong drive to use Li and Na metals as anode materials for lithium and sodium batteries due to their high specific energy. However, Li and Na metals are susceptible to dendrite growth and exhibit low melting points (180.5 °C for Li and 98 °C for Na). The low melting points can lead to internal short-circuits and catastrophic failure of the battery. Here, we show that batteries using Li and Na metal electrodes are short-circuiting internally when the melting points of these metals are reached. We demonstrated this with four different solid electrolytes in lithium and sodium batteries, using symmetric-, half-, and anode-free cells and through extensive impedance measurements and direct visualisation via operando digital microscopy. The temperature required to melt these metals in batteries is often reached under various operating conditions. In light of these facts, using Li and Na metals as electrodes in commercial batteries should be reconsidered.
published_date	2025-01-30T05:26:56Z
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The Achilles’ heel of batteries with alkali metal electrodes

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