Researchers at the University of Liverpool, UK have developed a new solid-state battery electrolyte that conducts lithium ions so rapidly, it could compete with the liquid electrolytes found in today’s ubiquitous lithium-ion batteries. This high lithium-ion conductivity is a prerequisite for rechargeable energy storage, but it is unusual in solids, which are otherwise attractive for batteries because they are safer and quicker to charge.
The new electrolyte has the chemical formula Li7Si2S7I and contains ordered sulphide and iodide ions arranged in both a hexagonal and cubic-close-packed structure. This structure makes the material highly conductive because it facilitates the movement of lithium ions in all three dimensions. “One could envisage it as a structure that allows lithium ions to have more ‘options’ to choose from for movement, which means they are less likely to get stuck,” explains Matt Rosseinsky, the Liverpool chemist who led the research
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