Garnet-type Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZrO) is a candidate solid electrolyte material that is now being intensively optimized for application in commercially competitive solid state Li + ion batteries. In this study we investigate, by forcefield-based simulations, the effects of Ga 3+ doping in LLZrO. We confirm the stabilizing effect of Ga 3+ on the cubic phase. We also determine that Ga 3+ addition does not lead to any appreciable structural distortion. Li site connectivity is not significantly deteriorated by the Ga 3+ addition (>90% connectivity retained up to x = 0.30 in Li 7−3x Ga x La 3 Zr 2 O 12 ). Interestingly, two compositional regions are predicted for bulk Li + ion conductivity in the cubic phase: (i) a decreasing trend for 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.10 and (ii) a relatively flat trend for 0.10 < x ≤ 0.30. This conductivity behavior is explained by combining analyses using percolation theory, van Hove space time correlation, the radial distribution function, and trajectory density.
■ INTRODUCTIONSolid electrolytes with high lithium ionic conductivity are now being actively investigated for application in commercially competitive all-solid-state rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Among them, Li-based garnet oxides have shown promise for meeting the much needed safety and reliability requirements of today's commercial lithium ion batteries.1−7 One of the garnet compositions being considered is the cubic Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 (LLZrO), this is due to its stability with elemental lithium and a total conductivity on the order of 10 −4 S/cm. 2 Its structure is usually defined in the Ia3̅ d space group with Li cations partiallly occupying 24d tetrahedral (Td) and 48g/96h octahedral (Oh) sites, La cations fully occupying 24c dodecahedral sites, Zr cations fully occupying 16a octahedral sites, and O anions fully occupying the 96h sites (see Figure 1). However, a more stable tetragonal symmetry (I4 1 /acd) has also been reported to exist at room temperature, with Li ordering in three crystallographic sites: one at the 8a site, which forms a subset of the cubic garnet 24d site, and the other two highly distorted 16f and 32g sites which, when combined, are equivalent to the cubic garnet 48g/96h sites. 8,9 This ordering is responsible for the low bulk Li + ion conductivity measured for tetragonal LLZrO, a value on the order of 1 × 10 −6 S/cm at room tempertaure.