Correlation of anisotropy and directional conduction in β-Li3PS4 fast Li+ conductor

This letter reports the correlation of anisotropy and directional conduction in the fast Li-1 conductor beta-Li3PS4, one of the low-symmetry crystalline electrolyte candidates. The material has both high conductivity and good stability that serves well for the large-scale energy storage applications of all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. The anisotropic physical properties, demonstrated here by the thermal expansion coefficients, are crucial for compatibility in the solid-state system and battery performance. Neutron and X-ray powder diffraction measurements were done to determine the crystal structure and thermal stability. The crystallographic b-axis was revealed as a fast expansion direction, while negligible thermal expansion was observed along the a-axis around the battery operating temperatures. The anisotropic behavior has its structural origin from the Li-1 conduction channels with incomplete Li occupancy and a flexible connection of LiS4 and PS4 tetrahedra within the framework. This indicates a strong correlation in the direction of the ionic transport in the low-symmetry Li-1 conductor. (C) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.