Fast Li-Ion Conduction in Spinel-Structured Solids.

Spinel-structured solids were studied to understand if fast Li ion conduction can be achieved with Li occupying multiple crystallographic sites of the structure to form a "Li-stuffed" spinel, and if the concept is applicable to prepare a high mixed electronic-ionic conductive, electrochemically active solid solution of the Li stuffed spinel with spinel-structured Li-ion battery electrodes. This could enable a single-phase fully solid electrode eliminating multi-phase interface incompatibility and impedance commonly observed in multi-phase solid electrolyte-cathode composites. Materials of composition LiM(III)TiO, M(III) = Cr or Al were prepared through solid-state methods.