Electrode/Electrolyte interfacial engineering of nanostructured ZnO/Li6.4Ga0.2La3Zr1.5Ta0.4O12 to improve electrochemical behavior of solid electrolyte for solid-state lithium batteries
摘要
The need to use renewable energy resources has motivated researchers to develop new electrochemical energy storage technologies like solid-state lithium batteries. One of the most critical challenges regarding solid-state batteries is electrode/electrolyte interfacial impedance. One way to overcome this challenge is the surface modification of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with thin layers that can strengthen the interface. This study investigated the structure–property relationship of ZnO-surface modified garnet-type Li6.4Ga0.2La3Zr1.5Ta0.4O12 (LLZO) electrolyte via detailed electrochemical measurements, distribution of relaxation time (DRT) analyses, and TEM inspections. LLZO was synthesized by a solid-state synthesis process, and the ZnO shell was deposited on LLZO particles using the sol–gel process. The key innovation in this paper is the utilization of a facile sol–gel coating process offering a straightforward and cost-effective route to achieve a conformal ZnO shell around LLZO particles. The EIS results showed that ZnO-coated LLZO exhibited a substantial reduction in interfacial impedance (> 70%). These findings highlight the potential of ZnO surface modification in improving the performance of garnet-based SSEs for lithium batteries.