Superionic Surface Li-Ion Transport in Carbonaceous Materials
Unlike Li-ion transport in the bulk of carbonaceous materials, little is known about Li-ion diffusion on their surface. In this study, we have discovered an ultrafast Li-ion transport phenomenon on the surface of carbonaceous materials with limited reversible Li insertion capacity and high surface area. An ionic conductivity of 18.1 mS cm<sup>-1</sup> at room temperature is observed in lithiated Ketjen black (KB), far exceeding those of most solid-state ion conductors. Theoretical calculations reveal low diffusion barriers for the surface Li species. As a result, lithiated KB functions effectively as an interlayer between Li and solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) to mitigate dendrite growth. Further, lithiated KB acts as a high-performance mixed ionic-electronic conductor and replaces solid electrolytes to enhance graphite anode performance, demonstrating full utilization with ∼85% capacity retention over 300 cycles. The discovery of this surface-mediated ultrafast Li-ion transport mechanism provides new directions for the design of solid-state ion conductors and solid-state batteries.
Authors
- Shyue Ping Ong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5726-2587)
- Zhaohui Liang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9361-5535)
- Nimrod Harpak
- Chaoshan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3458-8300)
- Jianbin Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0043-9825)
- Shen Lai
- Ke Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1145-8992)
- Kent J. Griffith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8096-906X)
- Wenlin Yan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1778-3780)
- Mengchen Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-4047-9116)
- Tsz Wai Ko (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0802-9559)
- Yang Ha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5684-8420)
- Shen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5013-1039)
- Shijie Feng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5797-8542)
- Ji Qi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5808-9931)
- Zeyu Hui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3081-9298)
- Paulina J. Ai
- Chunsheng Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8626-6381)
- Ping Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1488-1668)
- Min-Jae Kim
- Yan Yao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4712-9069)
- Haodong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7551-605X)
- Hongli Wan
Institutions
- Bishop's University (CA)
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- International Superconductivity Technology Center (JP)
- Advanced Light Source
- University of Houston (US)
- University of Maryland, College Park (US)
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2025-08-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c02729
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Advancements in Battery Materials
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.65
Funders
- Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy