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Synthesis and ionic conductivity of NASICON-type lithium titanium phosphate doped with zirconium and aluminum
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1  Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences
Academic Editor: Ioannis Spanopoulos

Abstract:

Today, due to the growing demand for powerful energy storage devices, lithium-ion batteries are of increasing interest. Generally, commercial samples of such energy sources are based on liquid electrolytes (solution of lithium salt in aprotic organic solvents). However, their use has a number of disadvantages: flammability and insufficient electrochemical stability. Solid electrolytes can be a promising solution to the safety problem. One of the most well-known types of solid electrolytes is lithium titanium phosphate LiTi2(PO4)3 with a NASICON-type structure. Its structure is composed of TiO6 octahedra and PO4 tetrahedra connected by oxygen atoms, enabling for lithium-ion conductivity. To improve LiTi2(PO4)3 conductivity, doping with various elements is carried out. Titanium substitution by Zr4+ leads to unit cell expansion, while Al3+ ion doping results in increase in Li+ interstitial concentration, which makes it possible to create structural defects in the lattice, in this way improving Li+ migration.

Thus, the aim of this work was to synthesize and study the ionic conductivity of Li1+yTi2-x-yZrxAly(PO4)3 (х = 0–0.2, y = 0–0.3) compounds with the NASICON-type structure.

In this work, the morphology and ionic conductivity of the Li1+yTi2‑x‑yZrxAly(PO4)3 (х = 0–0.2, y = 0–0.3) compounds prepared by both the sol-gel and solid-state methods were investigated, with the aim to study the effect of synthesis method. The Li1+yTi2‑x‑yZrxAly(PO4)3 systems were studied by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and 31P NMR spectroscopy. For all materials, the dependences of ionic conductivity on temperature were evaluated by impedance spectroscopy. It is shown that the Li1.1Ti1.7Zr0.1Al0.2(PO4)3 composition has the highest conductivity at 25°C (7.23×10-5 S/cm). The activation energy of Li+ conductivity was calculated. Its values are in the range of 34-40 kJ/mol for different materials.

Keywords: Solid-state electrolyte; NASICON-type; Lithium titanium phosphate; Ionic conductivity
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