Bulk SEI: Investigating the Instability of Li6PS5Cl at the Lithium Metal Anode
Authors: Alt Christoph Daniel , Mueller Nadia Ulrike , Riegger Luise M. , Minnmann Philip , Peppler Klaus , Janek Jürgen 
Published: September 2023

Among the multitude of lithium ion conducting materials, thiophosphate-based solid electrolytes (thio-SEs) attract great attention from academia and industry alike. Due to their high ionic conductivities and increased safety, thio-SEs – such as lithium argyrodite Li6PS5Cl – are considered suitable to be employed in solid-state batteries (SSBs). Thus, by substituting liquid organic electrolytes of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), higher energy and power densities (in combination with lithium metal anodes (LMAs)) as well as simplified cell designs are promoted.[1] Unfortunately, one major drawback of thio-SEs is the inadequate reduction stability in contact with LMAs,[2] which impedes device-level applications and has to be overcome.

Due to its thermodynamic instability, Li6PS5Cl is reduced upon contact with highly reactive lithium metal to a mixture of compounds, i.e., Li2S, Li3P, and LiCl. Thus, a so-called solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is formed, which is predominantly ion-conducting. Its electronically insulating nature is suspected to limit the interphase formation and further growth.[3] Additionally, the chemical and structural properties differ from that of pure SE. Unfortunately, the SEI only evolves at the Li | Li6PS5Cl interface and its thickness is in the nanometer range.[4] Suitable methods to examine the characteristics of SEI layers are therefore scarce and mostly limited to surface sensitive characterization techniques.

Here, we employ a novel approach to gain further insights into the nature of SEI layers of thiophosphate-based SE in contact with lithium metal, demonstrated with Li6PS5Cl as model solid electrolyte. Bulk material corresponding to the composition of the SEI is synthesized from SE and Li-metal in a direct manner and hence, examined in respect to different properties. The successful synthesis of bulk-phase SEI is confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, validating the chemical composition. This is complemented by structural analysis. Electrochemical characterization (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and Wagner-Hebb) is utilized to quantify the ionic and electronic conductivity of the obtained bulk material, respectively, and to further determine transport properties and SEI growth at the Li | Li6PS5Cl interface. The combined results of our studies allow comprehensive understanding of the SEI nature and offer boundary conditions to approximate the nanoscale properties of the SEI at the Li | Li6PS5Cl interface from bulk material synthesis and analysis.

References

[1] J. Janek, W. Zeier, Nat Energy 2016, 1, 16141

[2] S. Wenzel, S. J. Sedlmaier, C. Dietrich, W. G. Zeier, and J. Janek, Solid State Ionics 2018, 318, 102–112

[3] a) C. Lee, S. Y. Han, J. A. Lewis, P. P. Shetty, D. Yeh, Y. Liu, E. Klein, H.-W. Lee, and M. T. McDowell, ACS Energy Letters 2021, 6, 3261-3269 b) S. Wenzel, T. Leichtweiss, D. Krueger, J. Sann, J. Janek, Solid State Ionics 2015, 278, 98–105

[4] a) S.-K. Otto, L. M. Riegger, T. Fuchs, S. Kayser, P. Schweitzer, S. Burkhardt, A. Henss, J. Janek, Adv. Mater. Interfaces 2022, 9, 2102387; b) S. Wenzel, D. A. Weber, T. Leichtweiss, M. R. Busche, J. Sann, J. Janek, Solid State Ionics 2016, 286, 24−33