Fluorine-Doped High-Performance LiPSCl Electrolyte by Lithium Fluoride Nanoparticles for All-Solid-State Lithium-Metal Batteries

All-solid-state lithium-metal batteries (ASSLMBs) are widely considered as the ultimately advanced lithium batteries owing to their improved energy density and enhanced safety features. Among various solid electrolytes, sulfide solid electrolyte (SSE) LiPSCl has garnered significant attention. However, its application is limited by its poor cyclability and low critical current density (CCD). In this study, we introduce a novel approach to enhance the performance of LiPSCl by doping it with fluorine, using lithium fluoride nanoparticles (LiFs) as the doping precursor. The F-doped electrolyte LiPSCl-0.2LiF(nano) shows a doubled CCD, from 0.5 to 1.0 mA/cm without compromising the ionic conductivity; in fact, conductivity is enhanced from 2.82 to 3.30 mS/cm, contrary to the typical performance decline seen in conventionally doped LiPSCl electrolytes. In symmetric Li|SSE|Li cells, the lifetime of LiPSCl-0.2LiF(nano) is 4 times longer than that of LiPSCl, achieving 1500 h vs. 371 h under a charging/discharging current density of 0.2 mA/cm. In Li|SSE|LiNbO@NCM721 full cells, which are tested under a cycling rate of 0.1 C at 30 °C, the lifetime of LiPSCl-0.2LiF(nano) is four times that of LiPSCl, reaching 100 cycles vs. 26 cycles. Therefore, the doping of nano-LiF offers a promising approach to developing high-performance LiPSCl for ASSLMBs. Graphical Abstract: (Figure presented.)