Identifying the thermal decomposition mechanism of solid electrolyte interphase that cause thermal runaway in electric vehicles

The research team of Prof. Jongsup Hong of the Department of Mechanical Engineering collaborated with the research team of Prof. Kyunghak Kim of Hanyang University to identify the thermal decomposition mechanism of solid electrolyte interphase on the anode, which is a major cause of thermal stability and fire safety degradation in electric vehicles. The team focused on the thermal decomposition reaction of the solid electrolyte interphase that occurs in the early stages of thermal runaway and impairs the fire safety of electric vehicle batteries. Based on in-situ infrared spectroscopy-based spectral experimental measurements and density functional theory-based simulations, the researchers identified the decomposition mechanism of the solid electrolyte interphase at the atomic scale. This research provides key insights for improving fire safety in thermal runaway of electric vehicles, and the work was published in Energy Storage Materials, a top journal in the field of energy and materials (impact factor: 20.4 in 2022, JCR: 4.2% in Materials science, multidisciplinary), which recognized the qualitative excellence of the work.

The link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2024.103517