Study of the Electrochemical and Self-healing Processes of Galinstan as an Anode Material for Li-ion Batteries

Abstract

Alloy electrodes are attracting significant interest in the field of Li-ion batteries due to their high energy density. However, they suffer from large volume expansion and contraction during lithiation and delithiation, leading to rapid pulverization and disconnection. A strategy to avoid this is to use self-healing materials. Ga-based liquid alloys have been studied as self-healing electrodes because of their capacity to store Li and their liquid state at room temperature. The so-called “galinstan” (Ga0.77In0.15Sn0.08) exhibits the lowest melting temperatures and has been used to add self-healing properties in composite electrodes. Nevertheless, its lithiation mechanism and practical capacity remain unknown and the reversibility of the lithiation, which is crucial to ensure the self-healing properties offered by the liquid metal, must be investigated. Electrochemical measurements were coupled with X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analyses to better understand the redox processes, structural and morphological properties of galinstan as an electrode material in Li-ion batteries. It was shown that only Ga and In would react with Li to form LiGa and LiIn. The reversibility of these reactions and thus the self-healing ability of galinstan was demonstrated through observation of its liquid state before and after electrochemical cycling.

Diels–Alder Network Blends as Self-Healing Encapsulants for Liquid Metal-Based Stretchable Electronics

“…Galinstan Bio-Quecksilber, a commercially available eutectic alloy consisting of 68.5 wt % gallium, 21.5 wt % indium, and 10 wt % tin that exhibits an exceptional combination of properties such as a high electrical conductivity of 2.3 × 10 6 S/m and low melting point of −19 °C, was used as a liquid metal. 32 Flexible printed circuit boards (Flex PCB) were ordered from JL-CPCB. These Flex PCBs with a thickness of 120 μm have parallel wires of the circuit that are 60 mm long and 1 mm wide and connected via a loop enlarged to reduce the crosssensitivity.…”