A research team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) and TUMint.Energy Research has developed a novel material composed of lithium, antimony, and scandium that significantly enhances lithium-ion conductivity in solid-state batteries.
The breakthrough, led by Prof. Thomas F. Fässler, involves partially substituting lithium in a lithium antimonide compound with scandium.
This modification creates vacancies in the crystal lattice of the conductor material, facilitating and accelerating ion transport. According to the release, the new compound surpasses the ion conductivity of all previously known materials by more than 30%.
Given that the measured values exceeded existing benchmarks, the team collaborated with the Chair of Technical Electrochemistry at TUM, led by Prof. Hubert Gasteiger, to validate the results.
Co-author Tobias Kutsch explained that the material’s electrical conductivity required adjusted measurement methods to ensure accurate testing.
Fässler highlighted the discovery as a major advance in basic research and noted that the principle could serve as a model for other elemental combinations.
He also emphasized that the material demonstrates thermal stability and can be synthesized using established chemical processes. Further testing is underway, and a patent application has already been filed.
Jingwen Jiang, lead author and researcher at TUMint.Energy Research, added that the concept could be extended to lithium-phosphorus systems.
Unlike the previous record holder, which relied on five additional elements, the new material only requires scandium as an additive. Jiang stated that the findings may have broader implications for improving conductivity in other systems.
