John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
Adv Mater. 2022 Dec;34(49):e2207411. doi: 10.1002/adma.202207411. Epub 2022 Oct 31.
Sulfide-based lithium superionic conductors often show higher Li-ion conductivity than other types of electrolyte materials. This work unveils a unique Li-ion conductive behavior in these materials through the perspective of anharmonic coupling assisted Li-ion diffusion. Li hopping events can happen simultaneously with various types of lattice dynamics, while only a statistically important synchronization of motions may indicate coupling. This method enables a direct evaluation of the coupling strength between these motions, which more fundamentally decides if a specific type of lattice motion is really anharmonically coupled to the Li hopping event and whether the coupling can facilitate the Li diffusion. By a new ab initio computational approach, this work unveils a unique phenomenon in prototype sulfide electrolytes in comparison with typical halide ones, that Li-ion conduction can be boosted by the anharmonic coupling of low-frequency Li phonon modes with high-frequency anion stretching or flexing phonon modes, rather than the low-frequency rotational modes. The coupling pushes Li ions toward the diffusion channels for reduced diffusion barriers. The result from the lower temperature range (≈0-300 K) of simulation can also be more relevant to the application of solid-state batteries.
基于硫化物的锂离子超离子导体通常比其他类型的电解质材料表现出更高的锂离子电导率。这项工作通过非谐耦合辅助锂离子扩散的角度揭示了这些材料中独特的锂离子导电行为。Li 跳跃事件可以与各种类型的晶格动力学同时发生,而只有运动的统计学重要同步才可能表示耦合。这种方法可以直接评估这些运动之间的耦合强度,这更根本地决定了特定类型的晶格运动是否真的与 Li 跳跃事件非谐耦合,以及这种耦合是否可以促进 Li 的扩散。通过一种新的从头算计算方法,与典型的卤化物相比,这项工作在原型硫化物电解质中揭示了一种独特的现象,即锂离子传导可以通过低频 Li 声子模式与高频阴离子伸缩或弯曲声子模式的非谐耦合来增强,而不是低频旋转模式。这种耦合将 Li 离子推向扩散通道,从而降低扩散势垒。模拟的较低温度范围(≈0-300 K)的结果也可能与固态电池的应用更相关。