Engineering Electronic Radial Effects for Fast Li plus Transport in Solid-State Electrolytes

초록

Achieving high Li+ conductivity, near-unity transference numbers, and stable interfaces in solid-state electrolytes remains a major challenge for lithium-metal batteries. Here we introduce a radial-effect design principle: relativistic expansion and spin-orbit coupling of 5d orbitals enhance s-d/p-d hybridization, weaken Li-anion interactions, and lower migration barriers. An entropy-based descriptor, Sd, trained and validated with machine learning across >10,000 oxides, sulfides, and halides captures this effect. Machine-learning-guided high-throughput screening flags monoclinic HfO2, whose 5d 2 radial expansion lowers migration barriers by similar to 45% vs Sc2O3 or Y2O3. Guided by this insight, we employ millisecond flash-Joule heating to convert HfO2 into nanosized single crystals, then embed them in a Li-conductive binder to create sc-HfO2@LCB, whose radial coupling yields interconnected Li+ pathways (1.23 mS cm-1, 30 degrees C; t Li + = 0.82, 25 degrees C) and a 4.8 V electrochemical window. Operando Raman/XANES confirms faster Li+ transport. Consequently, 2 Ah LiNi0.9Co0.05Mn0.05O2 & Vert;Li pouch cells deliver similar to 472 Wh kg-1 (stack-level), maintain superior rate capability over hundreds of cycles, and survive 150 degrees C hot-plate tests. These results establish radial-effect engineering as a sophisticated strategy for high-performance, thermally resilient solid-state batteries.

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