All-solid-state lithium metal batteries possess advantages such as a high level of safety and high energy density. However, due to the lithium dendrite growth issue, solid-state electrolytes can only operate at relatively low current densities, severely limiting the application of all-solid-state lithium metal batteries.

To address the aforementioned issues, a joint research team from Xi'an Jiaotong University (XJTU) in materials/chemical engineering, based on previous research findings, proposed two mechanisms causing battery failure due to lithium dendrite piercing through solid electrolytes: the mechanical penetration mechanism and the transport-facilitated mechanism. Specifically targeting these, they put forward a targeted "detour and buffer" strategy and employed a particle size distribution method to design and prepare solid electrolytes with a bimodal distribution of grain sizes to achieve this purpose.

Their research findings, titled "Solid Electrolyte Bimodal Grain Structures for Improved Cycling Performance," were published in Advanced Materials. Jia Zhanhui, a doctoral student, and Dr. Shen Hao, an assistant professor at the Center for Advancing Materials Performance from the Nanoscale at the School of Materials Science and Engineering of XJTU, are the paper's two primary authors.

Corresponding authors include professor Chen Kai and assistant professor Shen Hao from the same research center and professor Tang Wei from the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology.