Solid-state ionic conduction is significantly influenced by bottleneck sizes, which impede ion diffusion within solid lattices. Using aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and multislice electron ptychography, we directly observed that increased La occupancy in the perovskite solid electrolyte Li0.5La0.5TiO3 correlates with reduced bottleneck sizes formed by four oxygen atoms connecting neighboring A-site cages. This correlation was also confirmed in local aperiodic regions, where smaller bottleneck sizes due to increased La occupancies affect the directionality and dimensionality of the Li+ ion conductivity. Furthermore, while prior studies have focused on averaged Li+ ion diffusion across different bottleneck areas or chemical environments, by devising a molecular dynamics (MD)-based methodology, we quantify the diffusivity of Li+ ions through specific bottleneck regions. Atomistic simulations, including nudged elastic band calculations and this MD-based methodology, revealed that larger bottleneck sizes correlate with smaller local migration barriers and higher local diffusivity. This study elucidates the relationship among local chemistry, lattice structure, and Li+ ion transport, providing insights for the design of advanced oxide solid electrolytes.
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Kim, J., Gordiz, K., Vivona, D., Hu, L., Gilgenbach, C., Tappan, B. A., Muy, S., LeBeau, J. M., & Shao-Horn, Y. (2024). Revealing the Interplay of Local Environments and Ionic Transport in Perovskite Solid Electrolytes. ACS Nano, 18(45), 31234–31243. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.4c09552
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2-s2.0-85208410565
39486027
MIT School of Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT School of Engineering
MIT School of Engineering
MIT School of Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
MIT School of Engineering
MIT School of Engineering
2024-11-12
18
45
31234
31243
REVIEWED
EPFL
| Funder | Funding(s) | Grant Number | Grant URL |
National Science Foundation | |||
Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy | |||
Office of Vehicle Technologies | |||
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