Tough Electrolytes for Solid-State Li batteries

The project will result in a new ERC application.

Inspired by biomineralized natural materials, like bone, teeth, and nacre, I hypothesize, that solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) with spatially varying mechanical properties and residual stresses can boost the fracture toughness to enable effective crack deceleration or even crack prevention. Consequently, SSEs with biomimetic architectures will have a tremendous impact on the cycling performance of solid-state batteries by avoiding Li dendrite growth; a key challenge impeding their realization. In the ERC I will design such advanced SSEs by applying multiple high-energetic ion implantation, which near-surface regions comprise a multitude of amorphous-crystalline interfaces, oscillating compressive residual stresses and Young’s moduli. Hence, Crack-Free will give the necessary groundbreaking step forward to bring SSLBs from the lab to applications.