Nanometer scale lithium-ion conducting oxides: Li6.1Ga0.3La3Zr2O12 and Li0.3La0.57TiO3

Abstract

Lithium-ion conducting oxides, prepared by conventional ball-milling and subsequently calcination at high temperatures, are always in microscales, which inevitably limits their application in composite metallic anodes. Herein, 20 nm-scaled Li_6.1Ga_0.3La₃Zr₂O₁₂ (LLZO) and 10 nm-scaled Li_0.3La_0.57TiO₃ (LLTO) oxides are fabricated by a modified sol-gel-calcination method. The gelation by the esterification reaction between citric acid and ethylene glycol potential create nanoscale zones in the molecular-level homogeneous mixed solution, resulting in LLTO and LLZO nanoparticles separated by carbonized productions. These carbonized products could suppress the growth of nanoparticles into micrometers in the oxidation process of these residual products, and finally, nanoscale LLTO and LLZO lithium-ion conducting oxides were evented. Solid electrolytes prepared using nanoscale LLTO and LLZO deliver comparable high ionic conductivities, indicating promising applications in all-solid-state lithium batteries.