Benchmarking the performance of all-solid-state lithium batteries

Considering the interdependence of performance measures and the lack of a basic reference system for all-solid-state batteries, Jurgen Janek and co-workers analyse literature performance data for major types of all-solid-state batteries and benchmark them against minimalistic reference cells. Increasing the specific energy, energy density, specific power, energy efficiency and energy retention of electrochemical storage devices are major incentives for the development of all-solid-state batteries. However, a general evaluation of all-solid-state battery performance is often difficult to derive from published reports, mostly due to the interdependence of performance measures, but also due to the lack of a basic reference system. Here, we present all-solid-state batteries reduced to the bare minimum of compounds, containing only a lithium metal anode, beta-Li3PS4 solid electrolyte and Li(Ni0.6Co0.2Mn0.2)O-2 cathode active material. We use this minimalistic system to benchmark the performance of all-solid-state batteries. In a Ragone-type graph, we compare literature data for thiophosphate-, oxide-, phosphate- and polymer-based all-solid-state batteries with our minimalistic cell. Using fundamental equations for key performance parameters, we identify research targets towards high energy, high power and practical all-solid-state batteries.