page_title: Solid-state electrolyte
section_title: Opportunities
hierarchical_section_title: Solid-state electrolyte / Opportunities
caption_attribution_description: English: A depiction of lithium metal dendrite from the anode piercing through the separator and growing towards the cathode.
context_page_description: A solid-state electrolyte is a solid ionic conductor electrolyte and it is the characteristic component of the solid-state battery. It is useful for applications in electrical energy storage in substitution of the liquid electrolytes found in particular in lithium-ion battery. The main advantages are the increased safety, no issues of leakages of toxic organic liquids, low flammability, non-volatility, mechanical and thermal stability, easy processability, low self-discharge, higher achievable power density and cyclability.
  This makes it possible, for example, the use of a lithium metal anode in a practical device, without the intrinsic limitations of a liquid electrolyte. The utilization of a high capacity anode and low reduction potential, like lithium with a specific capacity of 3860 mAh g⁻¹ and a reduction potential of -3.04 V vs SHE, in substitution of the traditional low capacity graphite is the first step in the realization of a lighter, thinner and cheaper rechargeable battery. Moreover this allows the reach of gravimetric and volumetric energy densities, high enough to achieve 500 miles per single charge in an electric vehicle.
context_section_description: The versatility and properties of the solid-state electrolyte widen the possible applications towards high energy density and cheaper battery chemistries that are otherwise prevented by the current state-of-the-art of Li-ion batteries. Indeed, by introducing a SSE in the battery architecture there's the possibility to use metallic lithium as anode material, with the possibility to achieve a high energy density battery thanks to its high specific capacity of 3860 mAh g⁻¹. The utilization of a lithium metal anode (LMA) is prevented in a liquid electrolyte above all because of the dendritic growth of a pure Li electrode that easily cause short circuits after few cycles; other related issues are volume expansions, solid-electrolyte-interface (SEI) reactivity and 'dead' lithium. The usage of a SSE guarantees a homogeneous contact with the metallic lithium electrode and possess the mechanical properties to impede the uncontrolled deposition of Li⁺ ions during the charging phase. At the same time, a SSE finds very promising application in lithium-sulfur batteries solving the key issue of the polysulfide "shuttle" effect by blocking the dissolution of polysulfide species in the electrolyte that rapidly causes a reduction of capacity.
caption: The uncontrolled formation of lithium dendrites
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