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Exploring pathways towards high conductivity in solid composite electrolytes: a multiscale perspective
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Structural Chemistry.ORCID iD: 0000-0001-9369-2832
Münster University.
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Chemistry, Department of Chemistry - Ångström, Structural Chemistry.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8019-2801
Münster University.
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other (popular science, discussion, etc.))
Abstract [en]

Ideally, by mixing polymer electrolytes and ceramic ionic conductors, composite solid electrolytes with high ionic conductivity and favorable mechanical properties can be obtained. Different pathways have been proposed to explain increased Li ion conductivity, for example via bulk transport in the inorganic solid electrolyte. This requires that the rate for ions crossing the phase exchange barrier (PEB) between the polymer and ceramics exceeds some critical value. Here we derive a general expression for this criticality condition via a holistic multiscale perspective. It expresses the macroscopic behavior based on microscopic information and may help to design and optimize composite materials. For the example of a ceramic Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) inserted into a polymer electrolyte, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) dissolved in polyethylene oxide (PEO) with different salt concentrations, we present molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. We observe specifically structured excess Li ions in the LLZO phase and the emergence of a tunable PEB height. Next, a macroscopic transport model is formulated, incorporating the key properties of the electrolyte. Analytical solutions for small systems are extrapolated to experimentally relevant system sizes via scaling approaches combined with numerical analysis. The resulting criticality criterion reveals quantitatively the positive impact of increasing the PEB rate and width as well as the ceramics size and aspect ratio. This suggests, for example, that ceramic nanowires aligned in the direction of the electric field might be particularly useful. Analogously, we also provide an analytical expression for the conductivity increase for a pathway exploiting a high-mobility polymer interphase region near the polymer-ceramic interface. Applying the general results to the MD input of the studied composite material, we find that the system is close to this criticality condition with respect to bulk transport, whereas interphase transport is not relevant.

Keywords [en]
Li-ion transport, Interface, Ion phase exchange, Interfacial ion distribution, Composite solid electrolytes, Solid polymer electrolytes, LLZO, PEO, Force field molecular dynamics, Atomistic simulations, Multiscale modelling
National Category
Materials Chemistry Theoretical Chemistry Polymer Chemistry
Research subject
Chemistry with specialization in Materials Chemistry; Chemistry with Specialisation in Theoretical Chemistry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-565077OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-565077DiVA, id: diva2:1989156
Available from: 2025-08-14 Created: 2025-08-14 Last updated: 2025-08-14
In thesis
1. Computational modeling of Li-ion transport in composite solid-state electrolytes: Significance and adequacy
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Computational modeling of Li-ion transport in composite solid-state electrolytes: Significance and adequacy
2025 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

This thesis investigates computational modeling of Li-ion transport in polymer-ceramic composite solid-state electrolytes, organized into three thematic threads which link the research studies into a broader context of scientific development. Firstly, methodological and conceptual advances of force field molecular dynamics (FFMD) techniques are discussed and used to analyse composites of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) and LiTFSI salt in poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) materials. The studies address the sensitivity and adequacy of FFMD, temperature dependence and significance of interfacial Li-ion phase exchange, and integration of atomistic insights into a mesoscale framework. This allows the identification of conditions under which interface crossing pathway enhance conductivity in a composite electrolyte as compared to the pure polymer electrolyte. Here, Li-ion phase exchange barrier (PEB) crossing rate, γb ~ 3 · 10-5 ns is calculated at 400 K. Further, the estimated γb value is compared to the critical value of the transition rate, above which the conductivity enhancement should result for the ion transport through the ceramic bulk. Moreover, an approach to predict ion diffusivity from potential energy landscape descriptors is demonstrated, enabling a structural basis for screening candidate materials. Secondly, a historical timeline situates the research project within the evolving field of solid-state electrolytes, tracing some selected developments in the understanding of ion transport at the atomistic scale. Thirdly, insights from interviews with six experienced scientists provides a meta-level perspective that examines the meaning, role, and adequacy of models in battery research, highlighting the challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration and the value of integrating diverse methodological approaches. Across these threads, the work demonstrates the significance of atomistic simulations for uncovering interfacial mechanisms inaccessible to direct experiment, while critically assessing their adequacy for predicting macroscopic behavior. Embedded within a multiscale framework, such models prove both sufficient and essential for advancing a broader understanding and improving predictive capability, particularly in the context of electrolyte materials.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2025. p. 71
Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 2568
Keywords
Li-ion transport, Interface, Ion phase exchange, Interfacial ion distribution, Composite solid electrolytes, Solid polymer electrolytes, LLZO, PEO, Force field molecular dynamics, Atomistic simulations, Multiscale modelling, Interdisciplinary battery research
National Category
Materials Chemistry
Research subject
Chemistry with specialization in Materials Chemistry
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-565015 (URN)978-91-513-2554-5 (ISBN)
Public defence
2025-09-25, Polhemsalen, Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, 09:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2025-09-03 Created: 2025-08-14 Last updated: 2025-09-03

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Kozdra, MelaniaBrandell, Daniel

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