Sulfide Solid Electrolyte with Favorable Mechanical Property for All-Solid-State Lithium Battery

TLDR

All‑solid‑state secondary batteries using inorganic solid electrolytes are attractive for safety, yet while ionic conductivity is well studied, the mechanical properties of sulfide electrolytes remain unclear. We demonstrate that sulfide electrolytes exhibit unique mechanical properties, including room‑temperature pressure sintering and a Young’s modulus of ~20 GPa, intermediate between oxides and polymers. These findings suggest that sulfide electrolytes can be processed at room temperature while maintaining mechanical robustness suitable for high‑energy‑density, long‑cycle all‑solid‑state lithium batteries.

Abstract

All-solid-state secondary batteries that employ inorganic solid electrolytes are desirable because they are potentially safer than conventional batteries. The ionic conductivities of solid electrolytes are currently attracting great attention. In addition to the conductivity, the mechanical properties of solid electrolytes are important for improving the energy density and cycle performance. However, the mechanical properties of sulfide electrolytes have not been clarified in detail. Here, we demonstrate the unique mechanical properties of sulfide electrolytes. Sulfide electrolytes show room temperature pressure sintering. Ionic materials with low bond energies and a highly covalent character, which is promising for achieving a high ionic conductivity, tend to be suitable for room-temperature processing. The Young's moduli of sulfide electrolytes were measured to be about 20 GPa, which is an intermediate value between those of typical oxides and organic polymers.