Electrochemical Testing and Benchmarking of Compositionally Complex Lithium Argyrodite Electrolytes for All‐Solid‐State Battery Application

Abstract

AbstractCeramic ion conductors play a pivotal role as electrolytes in solid‐state batteries (SSBs). Aside from the ionic conductivity, their (electro)chemical stability has a profound effect on the performance. Lithium thiophosphates represent a widely used class of superionic materials, yet they suffer from limited stability and are known to undergo interfacial degradation upon battery cycling. Knowledge of composition‐dependent properties is essential to improving upon the stability of thiophosphate solid electrolytes (SEs). In recent years, compositionally complex (multicomponent) and high‐entropy lithium argyrodite SEs have been reported, having room‐temperature ionic conductivities of σion>10 mS cm−1. In this work, various multi‐cationic and ‐anionic substituted argyrodite SEs are electrochemically tested via cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy, as well as under operating conditions in SSB cells with layered Ni‐rich oxide cathode and indium‐lithium anode. Cation substitution is found to negatively affect the electrochemical stability, while anion substitution (introducing Cl−/Br− and increasing halide content) has a beneficial effect on the cyclability, especially at high current rates.