Abstract
The discharging and charging of batteries require ion transfer across phase boundaries. In conventional lithium-ion batteries, Li+ ions have to cross the liquid electrolyte and only need to pass the electrode interfaces. Future high-energy batteries may need to work as hybrids, and so serially combine a liquid electrolyte and a solid electrolyte to suppress unwanted redox shuttles. This adds new interfaces that might significantly decrease the cycling-rate capability. Here we show that the interface between a typical fast-ion-conducting solid electrolyte and a conventional liquid electrolyte is chemically unstable and forms a resistive solid-liquid electrolyte interphase (SLEI). Insights into the kinetics of this new type of interphase are obtained by impedance studies of a two-chamber cell. The chemistry of the SLEI, its growth with time and the influence of water impurities are examined by state-of-the-art surface analysis and depth profiling.
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Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the BASF Scientific Network for Electrochemistry and Batteries. The authors thank A.-K. Dürr, P. Hartmann, K. Leitner, J. Ter Maat (BASF SE), B. Luerßen, C. Fiedler, B. Mogwitz, M. Rohnke, J. Sann, M. Elm, D. Mollenhauer, H. Weigand (Justus-Liebig-University Giessen) and S. Berendts (TU Berlin) for helpful discussions and scientific support. We appreciate fruitful discussions within the BASF SE Network for Electrochemistry and Batteries.
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J.J., P.A. and M.R.B. conceived the experiments; M.R.B. designed the measurement set-ups and performed the electrochemical experiments with the assistance of T.D.; T.L., M.F. and M.R.B. carried out the XPS and ToF-SIMS experiments and evaluated the data; XRD measurements and Rietveld refinements were performed by D.A.W. and M.R.B.; M.S. and M.R. conducted the LAGP solid-electrolyte production and basic analysis thereof, and M.R.B. carried out the LiPON thin-film synthesis and basic solid-electrolyte analysis. The manuscript was written by M.R.B. All the authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.
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Busche, M., Drossel, T., Leichtweiss, T. et al. Dynamic formation of a solid-liquid electrolyte interphase and its consequences for hybrid-battery concepts. Nature Chem 8, 426–434 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2470
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nchem.2470
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