Thermodynamic stability and ionic conductivity in lithium–germanium binary system

Abstract

Lithium–germanium binary compounds are promising anode materials for secondary lithium-ion batteries due to their high capacity, low operating voltage, and high electronic conductivity of lithiated Ge. For their successful application in batteries, it is essential to know the temperature stability of different Li–Ge phases and the variation of their ionic conductivity depending on the operating temperatures of the batteries. This work aims to comprehensively study the thermodynamic stability and ionic conductivity in Li–Ge binary compounds using a combination of first-principle computations and machine-learning interatomic potentials. We calculated convex hulls of the Li–Ge system at various temperatures and a temperature–composition phase diagram was obtained, delineating stability fields of each phase. Our calculations show that at temperatures higher than 590 K, LiGe undergoes a I41/a–P4/mmm transition, which leads to a change in the ionic conductivity. We show that all stable and metastable Li–Ge compounds have high ionic conductivity, but LiGe and Li7Ge12 have the lowest lithium diffusion. Trajectories of diffusion and Ge arrangements depend on lithium concentration. Based on advanced theoretical approaches, this study provides insights for the development of Li–Ge materials in lithium-ion and lithium-metal battery applications.