Effect of Relaxations on the Conductivity of La1,2+1,2xLi1,2-1,2xTi1-xAlxO3 Fast Ion Conductors

Perovskite-type solid-state electrolytes, Li3xLa2/3-xTiO3 (LLTO), are considered among the most promising candidates for the development of all- solid-state batteries based on lithium metal. Their high bulk ionic conductivity can be modulated by substituting part of the atoms hosted in the A- or B-site of the LLTO structure. In this work, we investigate the crystal structure and the long-range charge migration processes characterizing a family of perovskites with the general formula La1/2+1/2xLi1/2-1/2xTi1-xAlxO3 (0 <= x <= 0.6), in which the charge balance and the nominal A-site vacancies (n(A) = 0) are preserved. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) investigations reveal the presence of a very complex nanostructure constituted by a mixture of two different ordered nanoregions of tetragonal P4/mmm and rhombohedral R (3) over barc symmetries. Broadband electrical spectroscopy studies confirm the presence of different crystalline domains and demonstrate that the structural fluctuations of the BO6 octahedra require to be intra- and intercell coupled, to enable the long-range diffusion of the lithium cation, in a similar way to the segmental mode that takes place in polymer-ion conductors. These hypotheses are corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations and molecular dynamic simulations.

Automated summary

In this study, a family of perovskite-type solid-state electrolytes were investigated, revealing a complex nanostructure and different crystalline domains. Broadband electrical spectroscopy studies confirmed the structural fluctuations and long-range diffusion of lithium cations, similar to the segmental mode in polymer-ion conductors.