A Functional Air-Stable Li_9.8GeP_1.7Sb_0.3S_11.8I_0.2 Superionic Conductor for High-Performance All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) based on sulfides have become a subject of great interest due to their superior Li-ion conductivity, low grain boundary resistance, and adequate mechanical strength. However, they grapple with chemical instability toward moisture hypersensitivity, which decreases their ionic conductivity, leading to more processing requirements. Herein, a Li 9.8 GeP 1.7 Sb 0.3 S 11.8 I 0.2 (LGPSSI) superionic conductor is designed with a Li + conductivity of 6.6 mS cm -1 and superior air stability based on hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory. The introduction of optimal antimony (Sb) and iodine (I) into the Li 10 GeP 2 S 12 (LGPS) structure facilitates fast Li-ion migration with low activation energy ( E a ) of 20.33 kJ mol –1 . The higher air stability of LGPSSI is credited to the strategic substitution of soft acid Sb into (Ge/P)S 4 tetrahedral sites, examined by Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. Relatively lower acidity of Sb compared to phosphorus (P) realizes a stronger Sb–S bond, minimizing the evolution of toxic H 2 S (0.1728 cm 3 g –1 ), which is ∼3 times lower than pristine LGPS when LGPSSI is exposed to moist air for 120 min. The NCA//Li–In full cell with a LGPSSI superionic conductor delivered the first discharge capacity of 209.1 mAh g –1 with 86.94% Coulombic efficiency at 0.1 mA cm –2 . Furthermore, operating at a current density of 0.3 mA cm –2, LiNbO 3 @NCA/LGPSSI/Li–In cell demonstrated an exceptional reversible capacity of 117.70 mAh g –1, retaining 92.64% of its original capacity over 100 cycles.