Understanding (effective) ionic transport in solids and solid-state batteries

The advent of solid-state batteries has spawned a recent increase in interest in lithium conducting solid electrolytes. However, many open questions remain when trying to optimize electrolytes and understand solid state battery chemistries.

In this presentation, we will show how an understanding of the structure-transport properties can help tailor the ionic conductivity. In an exemplary study on superionic lithium metal halides, we show that a cation site-disorder and the local structure of materials is important to study, especially as synthetic influences control materials properties.

In a second part of this presentation, we will show the tremendous influence of lattice dynamics on ionic conductors. By introducing a different approach to understanding ionic motion using phonon occupations, we try to explain so far unexplained behaviors of physical ionic transport.

Finally, we will show that it is not only important to find fast ionic conductors, but that fast ionic conduction is paramount within solid state battery composites. Measuring the effective ionic transport in cathode composites provides an avenue to explore transport and stability limitations that in turn provide better criteria for solid state battery performance