Li₂₉Zr₉Nb₃O₄₀ based Li-ionic conductors as a new system of solid-state electrolytes

Taking into account of high energy density and safety, solid-state lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are promising for next-generation energy storage devices and high-performance power sources, and the inorganic solid electrolyte is a key component in LIBs. Here, a new system of solid oxide electrolyte with a nominal composition of Li29Zr9Nb3O40 (LZNO) and Al-doped LZNO are prepared through a sol-gel method and the related ionic conductivities are firstly investigated. All the prepared compounds have an orthorhombic structure. The pure LZNO shows a bulk conductivity of 1.75 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) and a total conductivity of 5.90 x 10(-5) S cm(-1) at 25 degrees C, and has low activation energy of conduction of 0.20 eV. The Al-doping enhances the total ionic conductivity up to 2.41 x 10(-4) S cm(-1) at room temperature. The computational simulation by using bond valence site energy reveals that the LZNO crystal has 3D migration pathways including two-dimensional migration pathways along a - and c - orientations, as well as the migration b-direction one provided by the partially occupied O (8) sites. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.