Solid electrolyte interphases in solid-state batteries

​​​​​​Solid-state batteries employing lithium metal anodes and sulphide-based solid electrolytes offer the promise of higher energy density¹, but they face critical challenges due to interfacial degradation at the lithium–solid interface, driven by the formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI)². In this project, the student will determine the mechanism and rate law of SEI formation and growth using a combination of electrochemical techniques, virtual electrode plating XPS³, and low-dose TEM⁴. The work will also investigate how SEI growth is linked to bulk electrolyte composition and SEI nanostructure.

References

1.     Burton, M. et al. Techno-economic assessment of thin lithium metal anodes for solid-state batteries. Nat. Energy 10, 135–147 (2024).

2.     Burton, M. et al. The role of phosphorous in the solid electrolyte interphase of argyrodite solid electrolytes. ChemRxiv (2025).

3.     Narayanan, S. et al. Effect of current density on the solid electrolyte interphase formation at the lithium∣Li₆PS₅Cl interface. Nat. Commun. 13, 7237 (2022).

4.     Olbrich, L. et al. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigation of the SEI formed on lithium metal anodes. ChemRxiv (2025).