Synthesis of Li₁₀GeP₂S₁₂ Electrolyte Using Aqueous Solution.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Sulfide electrolytes are vital for all-solid-state batteries.
• Current liquid-phase synthesis uses hazardous organic solvents.
• Scalable and environmentally friendly synthesis methods are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, green liquid-phase synthesis for sulfide electrolytes.
• To eliminate the use of organic solvents in electrolyte preparation.
• To demonstrate the performance of synthesized electrolytes in all-solid-state batteries.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an aqueous solution for liquid-phase synthesis.
• Synthesized lithium germanium phosphorus sulfide (Li$_{10}$GeP$_{2}$S$_{12}$) electrolyte.
• Fabricated and tested an all-solid-state Li-In/LiNi$_{1/3}$Co$_{1/3}$Mn$_{1/3}$O$_{2}$ battery cell.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized Li$_{10}$GeP$_{2}$S$_{12}$ electrolyte using water.
• Achieved an ionic conductivity of 1.6 × 10$^{-3}$ S cm$^{-1}$ at 25 °C.
• Demonstrated stable cycling performance over 500 cycles in an all-solid-state battery cell.

Conclusions:

• Water can be used as an effective and environmentally friendly solvent for synthesizing high-performance sulfide electrolytes.
• This aqueous synthesis approach is suitable for mass production of electrolytes.
• The developed electrolytes contribute to the advancement of safe and efficient all-solid-state batteries.