ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES | JULY 2026 13 SURFACE ENGINEERING NEW COATING FORTIFIES LITHIUM METAL BATTERIES Researchers at Stanford University and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, both in California, developed a coating that overcomes common defects in lithium metal batteries. In lab testing, the coating significantly extended battery life. It also eliminated the combustion issue by greatly limiting the dendrites that pierce the separator between the battery’s positive and negative sides. In addition to ruining the battery, dendrites can create a short circuit within the battery’s flammable liquid. Lithium metal batteries are desirable because they can hold at least a third more power per pound as lithium-ion batteries do and are significantly lighter, as they use lithium for the positively charged end rather than graphite. The scientists tested their coating on the anode of a standard lithium metal battery, which is where dendrites typically form. The team then combined their specially coated anodes with other commercially available components to create a fully operational battery. After 160 cycles, their lithium metal cells still delivered 85% of the power that they did in their first cycle. Regular lithium metal cells deliver about 30% after that many cycles, making them practically useless even if they do not explode. The new coating keeps dendrites from forming by creating a network of molecules that deliver charged lithium ions to the electrode uniformly. It also prevents unwanted chemical reactions typical for these batteries and reduces chemical buildup on the anode, which quickly devastates the battery’s ability to deliver power. stanford.edu. COLORED FILMS ENABLE PV MODULE PATTERNS Scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE), Germany, developed colored films with transparent cutouts that create unique designs on photovoltaic (PV) modules. By using the special films, solar panels could be made to look like traditional roof tiles, for example. The film cutout patterns use MorphoColor technology, an ISE invention that creates a color impression without significantly impairing the PV module’s efficiency. The technology can be applied to all standard PV and solar thermal modules with the desired pattern cut into the coated films with a laser or CAD-controlled process. “Modules with ShadeCut can look like masonry or roof tiles and blend in perfectly in terms of color. It also allows for the customization of PV systems, for example with logo lettering or patterns,” says researcher Martin Heinrich. MorphoColor technology was inspired by the butterfly of the same name. The 3D photonic structures on the butterfly’s wings create an intense and angle-stable color impression through a low-loss interference effect. Following this biological model, the ISE team succeeded in applying a similar surface structure to the back of the cover glass of PV modules using a vacuum process. Depending on the microstructure, cover glasses can be produced in various colors. Lab measurements confirm that the colored PV modules with the new coating deliver approximately 95% of the power output of a comparable uncoated module. www.ise.fraunhofer.de. From le , researchers David Mackanic and Zhiao Yu stand in front of their battery tester while Yu holds a dish of already tested cells. Courtesy of Mark Golden. Foil cutting patterns can be used to imitate roof tiles without a ecting the e iciency of the PV module. Courtesy of Marco Ernst. Flexcon Global, Spencer, Mass., licensed two patented inventions to manufacture a self-healing barrier film from the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratoryfor R&D purposes. The technologies include a self-healing barrier film and an advanced manufacturing method using a roll-to-roll coating process. ornl.gov. BRIEF
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