1 research outputs found
Anomalous High Ionic Conductivity of Nanoporous β‑Li<sub>3</sub>PS<sub>4</sub>
Lithium-ion-conducting solid electrolytes hold promise
for enabling
high-energy battery chemistries and circumventing safety issues of
conventional lithium batteries. Achieving the combination of high
ionic conductivity and a broad electrochemical window in solid electrolytes
is a grand challenge for the synthesis of battery materials. Herein
we show an enhancement of the room-temperature lithium-ion conductivity
by 3 orders of magnitude through the creation of nanostructured Li<sub>3</sub>PS<sub>4</sub>. This material has a wide electrochemical window
(5 V) and superior chemical stability against lithium metal. The nanoporous
structure of Li<sub>3</sub>PS<sub>4</sub> reconciles two vital effects
that enhance the ionic conductivity: (1) the reduction of the dimensions
to a nanometer-sized framework stabilizes the high-conduction β
phase that occurs at elevated temperatures, and (2) the high surface-to-bulk
ratio of nanoporous β-Li<sub>3</sub>PS<sub>4</sub> promotes
surface conduction. Manipulating the ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes
has far-reaching implications for materials design and synthesis in
a broad range of applications, including batteries, fuel cells, sensors,
photovoltaic systems, and so forth