An Adjustable-Porosity Plastic Crystal Electrolyte Enables High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Solid-state lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries face challenges due to limited triple-phase boundaries (TPBs) in solid-state cathodes (SSCs) and high resistance from solid electrolytes (SEs).
• These limitations hinder the achievement of high-performance all-solid-state Li-O2 (ASS Li-O2) batteries.

Purpose of the Study:

• To overcome the limitations of TPBs and SE resistance in ASS Li-O2 batteries.
• To develop an advanced solid electrolyte enabling efficient ion and gas transport.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an adjustable-porosity plastic crystal electrolyte (PCE) using a thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) technique.
• In-situ introduction of the porous PCE onto the active material surface of the SSC.
• Characterization of the electrochemical performance of the fabricated ASS Li-O2 battery.

Main Results:

• The engineered SSC with porous PCE facilitated simultaneous Li+/e- transfer and O2 flow, creating continuous and abundant TPBs.
• The dense PCE exhibited high Li+ conductivity, softness, and adhesion, reducing overall battery resistance to 115 Ω.
• The ASS Li-O2 battery demonstrated a high specific capacity (5963 mAh g-1), good rate capability, and stable cycling for 130 cycles at 32°C.

Conclusions:

• The developed adjustable-porosity PCE effectively addresses key challenges in ASS Li-O2 batteries.
• This novel design offers a promising pathway for advancing high-performance solid-state energy storage devices.
• The findings pave the way for future research and development in ASS Li-O2 battery technology.