Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-affiliative mechanism for air-accessible interface engineering of garnet electrolyte via facile liquid metal painting.

Meng, Junwei; Zhang, Yang; Zhou, Xuejun; Lei, Meng; Li, Chilin · Nat Commun · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Garnet based solid-state batteries have the advantages of wide electrochemical window and good chemical stability. However, at Li-garnet interface, the poor interfacial wettability due to Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> passivation usually causes large resistance and unstable contact. Here, a Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-affiliative mechanism is proposed for air-accessible interface engineering of garnet electrolyte via facile liquid metal (LM) painting. The natural LM oxide skin enables a superior wettability of LM interlayer towards ceramic electrolyte and Li anode. Therein the removal of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> passivation network is not necessary, in view of its delamination and fragmentation by LM penetration. This dissipation effect allows the lithiated LM nanodomains to serve as alternative Li-ion flux carriers at Li-garnet interface. This mechanism leads to an interfacial resistance as small as 5 Ω cm<sup>2</sup> even after exposing garnet in air for several days. The ultrastable Li plating and stripping across LM painted garnet can last for 9930 h with a small overpotential.