from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
The effect of a thin Ni barrier layer on Li diffusion - deposited between the solid electrolyte and the cathode - was investigated using Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP) and complemented by Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) for elemental depth distribution analysis. Half-cells consisting primarily of a LiPON solid-state electrolyte, MoS₂ cathode, and a top Au current collector were fabricated on Ti substrates via ion beam sputtering. Selected samples were prepared specifically to examine the potential impact of the Ni barrier on Li transport. While Ni is often proposed to suppress the shuttle effect in Li–S batteries, its influence on Li⁺ ion diffusion remains poorly understood. The study showed that the Ni interlayer may hinder the diffusion of Li - S complexes between electrodes, suggesting a potential strategy to mitigate the shuttle effect and enhance Li - S battery performance. However, the observed effects are not yet conclusive and require further experimental validation.
Keywords: Energy storage systems, solid state half-cell, Li, sulfides© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.