Electrochemical energy storage battery is an extremely important electrical energy storage method. Energy storage battery is a device that stores electrical energy through the mutual conversion of chemical energy and electrical energy. Up to now, the commonly used battery systems have certain problems. For example, traditional lead-acid batteries contain strong pollutants such as heavy metals; the newly developed all-vanadium redox flow battery requires the use of very expensive rare metals to manufacture electrodes, and the cost Too expensive, although energy storage is very efficient, it is currently not suitable for large-scale production construction.

The required energy storage equipment is facing new requirements. The research and development of various new concept energy storage batteries is of great significance to my country's new energy development and energy conservation and emission reduction.

Traditional commercial lithium batteries use organic liquid electrolytes, which have the advantages of small size, large capacity, and long service life, but also have certain safety hazards. The solid electrolyte in the solid-state battery can eliminate the problems of explosion and liquid leakage caused by the liquid electrolyte, and realize safe energy storage. Taking the all-solid-state lithium battery as an example, it has higher safety, but the raw material cost of its core component, the solid-state electrolyte, is mostly very high, and a considerable number of solid-state electrolytes with good performance are not stable to humidity. Preparation and storage in an atmosphere with a very low dew point increases production costs on the other hand. To this end, the research group of Professor Ma Cheng from the University of Science and Technology of China designed and synthesized a new type of chloride solid electrolyte-lithium zirconium chloride (Li2ZrCl6). This material succeeds in significantly reducing raw material costs at 50 microns thickness. In addition, lithium zirconium chloride remains stable up to 5% humidity (corresponding to a dew point of -15 °C), so its synthesis and storage do not require harsh atmospheres, further reducing production costs. Lithium zirconium chloride also has significant advantages in terms of production cost and comprehensive electrochemical performance, and its discovery overcomes major challenges for commercial mass production of all-solid-state batteries. The commercialization of all-solid-state lithium batteries will be of great significance to achieve carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. Especially in the field of new energy electric vehicles, all-solid-state lithium batteries may be the ultimate solution to safety issues.

Safer, longer battery life, higher energy density, and lower cost are important requirements for batteries in the application market, and are also the direction that researchers are tirelessly pursuing.