October
Picture of the Month - October 2025
Studying the Influence of Lattice Parameter and Li Content on Ionic Conductivity in Li-Garnets
The current drive to replace liquid electrolytes in Li-ion batteries due to safety and environmental reasons by solid electrolytes fueled research on a whole set of different compounds. Li-Garnets, amongst them, are a promising candidate for the application as solid-electrolyte in Li batteries due to their compatibility with lithium metal as anode material and ability to host a wide variety of different elements. Exploiting the compositional flexibility with the so-called “high-entropy” concept allows tailoring of properties such as lattice parameters, ionic conductivity or electrochemical stability by selecting favorable element combinations.
To find promising combinations in the huge pool of possibilities a pre-screening process was developed, taking size and charge factors into account. Samples were then prepared by solid-state synthesis and studied via X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and impedance spectroscopy.
The illustration shows the results of such an impedance spectroscopy and possible correlations between ionic conductivity, lattice parameter and lithium content in the samples studied. This highlights the need for extensive research in the field of battery materials to further understand composition-property relations, conduction mechanisms and possible ways to improve these (high-entropy) battery materials.
Reference: Benjamin Zimmermann, Till Fuchs, Johannes Westphal, Jürgen Janek, and Maren Lepple, ACS Organic & Inorganic Au 2025 5 (3), 211-220 DOI:10.1021/acsorginorgau.5c00021
This picture was submitted by Prof. Dr. Maren Lepple.
Further insights into the research activities of the ZfM groups can be found in the Gallery.