All solid-state lithium batteries (SSLBs) are poised to have higher energy density and better safety than current liquid-based Li-ion batteries, but a central requirement is effective ionic conduction pathways throughout the entire cell. Here we develop a catholyte based on an emerging class of porous materials, porous organic cages (POCs). A key feature of these Li⁺ conducting POCs is their solution-processibility. They can be dissolved in a cathode slurry, which allows the fabrication of solid-state cathodes using the conventional slurry coating method. These Li⁺ conducting cages recrystallize and grow on the surface of the cathode particles during the coating process and are therefore dispersed uniformly in the slurry-coated cathodes to form a highly effective ion-conducting network. This catholyte is shown to be compatible with cathode active materials such as LiFePO₄, LiCoO₂ and LiNi_0.5Co_0.2Mn_0.3O₂, and results in SSLBs with decent electrochemical performance at room temperature.

Jing Li, Jizhen Qi, Feng Jin, Fengrui Zhang, Lei Zheng, Lingfei Tang, Rong Huang, Jingjing Xu, Hongwei Chen, Ming Liu, Yejun Qiu, Andrew I. Cooper, Yanbin Shen, Liwei Chen