Suppressing Atmospheric Degradation of Sulfide-Based Solid Electrolytes via Ultrathin Metal Oxide Layers

Abstract

Sulfide-based solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) are promising materials with superior Li-ion conductivity; however, their poor atmospheric stability limits commercial manufacturing at scale. Here, we investigate the impact of ultrathin metal oxide layers deposited via atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the stability of Li₆PS₅Cl (LPSCl). Al₂O₃ layers grown directly on LPSCl particles significantly stabilize the surface chemistry and Li-ion transport properties relative to uncoated material upon exposure to both an ambient atmosphere (22% relative humidity, RH) and humidified O₂ (100% RH). Detailed investigations indicate that coatings impede the surface and bulk degradation kinetics of exposed materials, even for coatings as thin as ∼1 Å. This suggests that stabilization is due to more than just a physical barrier. Shifts in valence band edge positions of coated LPSCl indicate that ALD coatings alter the surface electronic structure and resulting oxidation tendency of underlying LPSCl, suggesting new avenues to improving the environmental stability of sulfide SSEs.