Abstract: All-solid-state lithium ion batteries are rapidly gaining the attention of the research community due to their potential for improving safety while achieving high stability and high capacity for widespread applications in electric vehicles, digital electronics and portable appliances. Although great improvements have been made, fundamental challenges persist in terms of developing high ionic conductors, (electro) chemically stable electrode-electrolyte interfaces and scalable manufacturing of electrodes and solid-state electrolytes. Further advances will require coordinated approaches with application of knowledge, concepts, and tools from a variety of fields including materials science, physics, engineering, theory, and interfacial electrochemistry. Using combined experimental- and computational-based methodologies, we have gained atomic-level insights into the stability and reactivity of solid electrolyte interfaces with metallic Li by studying lithium-conducting garnets (LLZO) and polymer (PEO) thin films as model systems.

In this talk I will discuss how we are transferring and building upon that knowledge to establish a synthesis-materials characterization-computation cycle that will advance synthesis, chemistry, microstructure, interfaces and transport in LLZO/PEO composite polymer electrolytes.