Abstract
Energy storage system is a critical technology to achieve efficient delivery and a steady supply of energy from intermittent sustainable sources (e.g. solar, wind). Lithium (Li) solid-state batteries are attractive candidates for next-generation batteries that require high energy density and stringent safety. In solid-state batteries, sulfides solid electrolytes are very promising to construct a large scale energy storage system. However, sulfide solid electrolyte pallets usually have an average thickness of 500-2000 μm, which is 50 times that of the separators in conventional Li-ion batteries pose a huge challenge for their practical applications. Furthermore, the preparation of ultra-thin sulfide solid electrolyte membranes is difficult mainly due to the lack of efficient, low-cost solid electrolyte processing methods. Herein, we propose to use an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) technique to produce ultra-thin sulfide solid electrolyte membranes. We designed and synthesized nano-flaky structured β-Li3PS4 with high ionic conductivity, employed EISA method to produce ultra-thin β-Li3PS4 membranes as thin as 8 μm plus controllable thickness. It was clearly demonstrated that EISA method could be an facile approach to prepare solid electrolyte membranes.