Cathode-Supported All-Solid-State Lithium–Sulfur Batteries with High Cell-Level Energy Density

Abstract

Bulk-type all-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) are being considered as a promising technology to improve the safety and energy density of today’s batteries. However, current bulk-type ASSLBs suffer from low cell-level energy density due to the challenges in reducing the electrolyte thickness. In this work, we report cathode-supported ASSLBs with a thin solid electrolyte layer. Starting from a stainless steel mesh-supported Li2S cathode, we are able to build an ASSLB with a ∼100 μm thick Li3PS4 electrolyte reinforced by a Kevlar nonwoven scaffold and with Li metal as the anode. The ASSLB delivers a high capacity with high rate and cycling performances at room temperature. Moreover, the unique cell design also enabled utilization of a thick cathode with a Li2S loading of 7.64 mg cm–2, providing a high cell-level energy density (excluding the current collectors) of 370.6 Wh kg–1 for the first cycle.