Interlayered Solid Electrolyte Architecture for Lithium Dendrite Suppression in Lithium Metal Batteries

This work presents a laminated solid-electrolyte architecture that improves damage tolerance, performance, and safety in lithium‑metal batteries by controlling lithium‑filament (dendrite) propagation. The design embeds a thin mixed ionic–electronic conducting (MIEC) interlayer, exemplified by reduced graphene oxide (rGO), between two dense ceramic electrolyte layers to bias filaments to grow laterally at the interlayer rather than through‑thickness. In symmetric Li‖Li tests, the interlayered electrolyte sustains higher current density before catastrophic failure (e.g., ∼3.8 mA·cm⁻² vs ∼0.6 mA·cm⁻² without the interlayer) and exhibits self‑recovery behavior consistent with ohmic cycling. Although demonstrated with a garnet‑oxide platform (LLZTO), the architectural principle is compatible with multiple solid‑electrolyte families (oxide garnets, sulfide argyrodites/glasses, polymers/composites).