Three-Dimensionally Printed Ionogel-Coated Ceramic Electrolytes for Solid-State Lithium Batteries.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• 3D printing offers customization of ceramic solid electrolytes.
• Achieving high ceramic loading and low slurry viscosity for printing is challenging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel slurry for 3D printing ceramic solid electrolytes with enhanced properties.
• To fabricate and test solid-state lithium batteries using the 3D printed electrolytes.

Main Methods:

• An ionogel-coated ceramic approach was used to create a shear-thinning slurry with 50 wt% ceramic loading and 1.53 Pa·s viscosity.
• 3D printing was employed to create symmetric honeycomb electrolyte films.
• Solid-state lithium batteries were assembled using the printed electrolytes.

Main Results:

• The ionogel coating facilitated rapid Li+ transport across interfaces.
• The slurry formulation enhanced ionic conductivity and Li+ transport efficiency.
• The resulting solid-state lithium batteries demonstrated stable cycling for 500 cycles at 0.5 C and 50 °C.

Conclusions:

• The ionogel-coated ceramic slurry is a viable method for 3D printing customized solid-state ceramic-based electrolytes.
• This strategy enables the fabrication of high-performance, stable solid-state lithium batteries.
• The approach addresses key challenges in slurry formulation for additive manufacturing of solid electrolytes.