Antiperovskite batteries won't explode like their lithium-ion counterparts

Batteries made of solid materials could become safer thanks to a new structural arrangement of atoms.

This was done by scientists from the Institute for Integrated Research of Cells and Materials (iCeMS) at Kyoto University.They have developed a new type of anti-perovskite.Combining two types of negatively charged anions and one type of positively charged cations.They also have many interesting properties, including superconductivity and, unlikemost materials, compression when heated.

Lithium and sodium rich antiperovskites suchlike Li3OCl and Na3OCl, are attracting the attention of scientists due to their high ionic conductivity and concentration of alkali metals, making them a promising alternative to liquid electrolytes used in lithium-ion batteries. “However, achieving a conductivity comparable to that of lithium-ion in solids has been challenging,” explains chemist Hiroshi Kageyama, who led the study.

Kageyama and his team synthesized newa family of lithium and sodium-rich antiperovskites that solved the conductivity problem. Instead of “hard” oxygen and halogen anions, their antiperovskites contain a hydrogen anion called hydride and “soft” chalcogen anions such as sulfur.

The soft anionic lattice provides an ideal conduction path for lithium and sodium ions, which can be further enhanced by chemical substitution.

The advantages of the new family of antiperovskites,apparently, partly due to the ability of the hydride to change its size and expand its compositional space. This helps to stabilize the structure of the joint. In addition, its anomalous vibrational mode contributes to ionic conduction.

“Ultimately, solid-state electrolytes will appear in all-solid-state metal ion batteries for high-performance electric vehicles,” concludes Kageyama.

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