Sulfide Solid Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

The use of solid electrolytes is a promising direction to improve the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. However, the low ionic conductivity of many solid electrolytes currently hinders the performance of solid-state batteries. Sulfide solid electrolytes can be processed in a number of forms (glass, glass-ceramic, and crystalline) and have a wide range of available chemistries. Crystalline sulfide materials demonstrate ionic conductivity on par with those of liquid electrolytes through the utilization of near ideal conduction pathways. Low-temperature processing is also possible for these materials due to their favorable mechanical properties. The main drawback of sulfide solid electrolytes remains their electrochemical stability, but this can be addressed through compositional tuning or the use of artificial solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). Implementation of sulfide solid electrolytes, with proper treatment for stability, can lead to substantial improvements in solid-state battery performance leading to significant advancement in electric vehicle technology.