Room Temperature Resistive Hydrogen Sensor for Early Safety Warning of Li-Ion Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have become one of the most competitive energy storage technologies. However, the "thermal runaway" of LIBs leads to serious safety issues. Early safety warning of LIBs is a prerequisite for the widely applications of power battery and large-scale energy storage systems. As reported, hydrogen (H-2) could be generated due to the reaction of lithium metal and polymers inside the battery. The generation of H-2 is some time earlier than the "thermal runaway". Therefore, the rapid detection of trace hydrogen is the most effective method for early safety warning of LIBs. Resistive hydrogen sensors have attracted attention in recent years. In addition, they could be placed inside the LIB package for the initial hydrogen detection. Here, we overview the recent key advances of resistive room temperature (RT) H-2 sensors, and explore possible applications inside LIB. We explored the underlying sensing mechanisms for each type of H-2 sensor. Additionally, we highlight the approaches to develop the H-2 sensors in large scale. Finally, the present review presents a brief conclusion and perspectives about the resistive RT H-2 sensors for early safety warning of LIBs.