Reaction Mechanism of Li2MnO3 Electrodes in an All-Solid-State Thin-Film Battery Analyzed by Operando Hard X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

Stable Photoelectrochemical Reactions at Solid/Solid Interfaces toward Solar Energy Conversion and Storage

Electrochemistry has extended from reactions at solid/liquid interfaces to those at solid/solid interfaces. However, photoelectrochemistry at solid/solid interfaces has been hardly reported. In this study, we achieve a stable photoelectrochemical reaction at the semiconductor-electrode/solid-electrolyte interface in a Nb-doped anatase-TiO2 (a-TiO2:Nb)/Li3PO4 (LPO)/Li all-solid-state cell. The oxidative currents of a-TiO2:Nb/LPO/Li increase upon light irradiation when a-TiO2:Nb is located at a potential that is more positive than its flat-band potential. This is because the photoexcited electrons migrate to the current collector due to the bending of the conduction band minimum toward the negative potential. The photoelectrochemical reaction at the semiconductor/solid-electrolyte interface is driven by the same principle as those at semiconductor/liquid-electrolyte interfaces. Moreover, oxidation under light irradiation exhibits reversibility with reduction in the dark. Thus, we extend photoelectrochemistry to all-solid-state systems composed of solid/solid interfaces. This extension would enable us to investigate photoelectrochemical phenomena uncleared at solid/liquid interfaces because of low stability and durability.

Formation Processes of a Solid Electrolyte Interphase at a Silicon/Sulfide Electrolyte Interface in a Model All-Solid-State Li-Ion Battery

Understanding the electrochemical reactions at the interface between a Si anode and a solid sulfide electrolyte is essential in improving the cycle stabilities of Si anodes in all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). Highly dense Si films with very low roughnesses of <1 nm were fabricated at room temperature via cathodic arc plasma deposition, which led to the formation of a Si/sulfide electrolyte model interface. Li (de)alloying through the model interface hardly occurred during the first cycle, whereas it proceeded stably in subsequent cycles. Hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and neutron reflectometry directly revealed that the reduction or oxidation of the interfacial component or Li3PS4 electrolyte occurred during the first cycle. Consequently, an interfacial layer with a thickness of 13 nm and primarily composed of Li2S, SiS2, and P2S5 glasses was formed during the first cycle. The interfacial layer acted as a Li-conductive, electron-insulating solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) that provided reversible (de)lithiation. Our model interface directly demonstrates the electrochemical reaction processes at the Si/Li3PS4 interface and provides insights into the structures and electrochemical properties of SEIs to activate the (de)lithiation of Si anodes using a sulfide electrolyte.

Fabrication and electrochemical properties of electrode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through electrostatic integrated assembly

All-solid-state batteries, which use flame-resistant solid electrolytes, are regarded as safer alternatives to conventional lithium-ion batteries for various applications including electric vehicles. Herein, we report the fabrication of cathode composites for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries through an electrostatic assembly method. A polyelectrolyte is used to adjust the surface charge of the matrix particles to positive/negative, and the aggregation resulting from electrostatic interactions is utilized. Composites consisting of cathode active material particles (LiNi_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3O₂ (NMC) or LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ (LNMO)), solid electrolyte particles Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃ (LATP), and electron conductive one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNT) are formed via an electrostatic integrated assembly of colloidal suspensions. Electrostatic integration increases the electronic conductivity by two orders of magnitude in the NMC-LATP-CNT composite (6.5 × 10^-3 S cm^-1/3.2 × 10^-5 S cm^-1) and by six orders of magnitude in the LNMO-LATP-CNT composite (6.4 × 10^-3 S cm^-1/2.3 × 10^-9 S cm^-1). The dispersion of CNTs in the cathode composite is enhanced, resulting in percolation of e^- path even at 1 wt% (approximately 2.5 vol%) CNT. This study indicates that an integrated cathode composite can be fabricated with particles uniformly mixed by electrostatic interaction for oxide-type all-solid-state batteries.

Operando analysis of electronic band structure in an all-solid-state thin-film battery

Material characterization that informs research and development of batteries is generally based on well-established ex situ and in situ experimental methods that do not consider the band structure. This is because experimental extraction of structural information for liquid-electrolyte batteries is extremely challenging. However, this hole in the available experimental data negatively affects the development of new battery systems. Herein, we determined the entire band structure of a model thin-film solid-state battery with respect to an absolute potential using operando hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy by treating the battery as a semiconductor device. We confirmed drastic changes in the band structure during charging, such as interfacial band bending, and determined the electrolyte potential window and overpotential location at high voltage. This enabled us to identify possible interfacial side reactions, for example, the formation of the decomposition layer and the space charge layer. Notably, this information can only be obtained by evaluating the battery band structure during operation. The obtained insights deepen our understanding of battery reactions and provide a novel protocol for battery design.