An international team of researchers, including nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego, has uncovered nanoscale changes inside solid-state batteries that could offer new insights into improving battery performance.
Using computer simulations and X-ray experiments, researchers could “see” in detail why lithium ions move slowly in a solid electrolyte—specifically, at the electrolyte-electrode interface. Their studies revealed that faster vibrations at the interface make it more difficult for lithium ions to move there than in the rest of the material. Their findings, published April 27 in Nature Materials, could lead to new strategies to enhance ionic conductivity in solid-state batteries.
