Composite Electrolyte for All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries: Low-Temperature Fabrication and Conductivity Enhancement

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Solid-State Chemistry

Background:

• All-solid-state lithium batteries promise higher energy density, stability, and safety than conventional Li-ion batteries.
• Lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP) is a promising solid electrolyte due to its high bulk conductivity and stability.
• A key challenge for LATP is low total conductivity caused by grain boundary resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a composite solid electrolyte with enhanced ionic conductivity and processability.
• To investigate the effect of bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) as a microstructural modifier in LATP.
• To evaluate the performance of the LATP-Bi2O3 composite in all-solid-state lithium batteries.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of LATP-Bi2O3 composite solid electrolytes.
• Characterization of ionic conductivity and microstructural properties.
• Testing the composite electrolyte in all-solid-state lithium battery configurations.

Main Results:

• The LATP-Bi2O3 composite achieved a high total ionic conductivity of 9.4×10^-4 S/cm at room temperature.
• Bismuth oxide addition reduced the electrolyte fabrication temperature and improved densification.
• Enhanced Li+ conduction and reduced grain boundary resistance were observed.

Conclusions:

• The LATP-Bi2O3 composite electrolyte offers a viable solution for improving solid-state lithium battery performance.
• Bismuth oxide effectively modifies the microstructure to enhance ionic conductivity.
• This composite demonstrates potential for practical application in safer, high-performance batteries.