title: Anomalous high ionic conductivity of nanoporous β-Li3PS4.
abstract: Lithium-ion-conducting solid electrolytes hold promise for enabling high-energy battery chemistries and circumventing safety issues of conventional lithium batteries. Achieving the combination of high ionic conductivity and a broad electrochemical window in solid electrolytes is a grand challenge for the synthesis of battery materials. Herein we show an enhancement of the room-temperature lithium-ion conductivity by 3 orders of magnitude through the creation of nanostructured Li(3)PS(4). This material has a wide electrochemical window (5 V) and superior chemical stability against lithium metal. The nanoporous structure of Li(3)PS(4) reconciles two vital effects that enhance the ionic conductivity: (1) the reduction of the dimensions to a nanometer-sized framework stabilizes the high-conduction β phase that occurs at elevated temperatures, and (2) the high surface-to-bulk ratio of nanoporous β-Li(3)PS(4) promotes surface conduction. Manipulating the ionic conductivity of solid electrolytes has far-reaching implications for materials design and synthesis in a broad range of applications, including batteries, fuel cells, sensors, photovoltaic systems, and so forth.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37830, USA.
authors.forename: Zengcai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wujun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: E Andrew
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Payzant
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Zili
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Nancy J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Dudney
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kiggans
authors.forename: Kunlun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rondinone
authors.forename: Chengdu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang