Abstract
Solid-state lithium-metal batteries (SS-LMBs) have been a key focus for developing energy storage solutions with superior safety and enhanced energy density. Among ceramic electrolyte maerials used in SS-LMBs, perovskite-structure Li0.29La0.57TiO3 (LLTO) is non-flammable and has a high bulk ionic conductivity (10-4 S/cm at room temperature). However, the development of SS-LMBs is hindered by the poor contact between electrodes and solid-state electrolytes.
Herein, solid state electrolytes are patterned with micro/nano textures using an ultrafast laser to enhance the interfacial contact with the electrodes. The total impedance of SS-LMBs with either bare- or textured-LLTO was evaluated via Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy. The results show that ionic conductivity of the textured-LLTO is 5 times higher than that of bare-LLTO, demonstrating that the laser patterns significantly facilitate Li-ion migration at the interface. The assembled Li||textured-LLTO||LiFePO4 cell exhibits a relatively-low initial discharge capacity (110 mAh/g vs. 150 mAh/g of the cell with bare-LLTO) with a capacity retention of ~80% after 35 cycles. Efforts are underway to optimize the interfacial contact between the patterns and the cathode to improve the cycling performance of SS-LMBs.