Exploring the Cathode Active Materials for Sulfide-Based All-Solid-State Lithium Batteries with High Energy Density

All-solid-state lithium batteries (ASSLBs) are considered promising alternatives to current lithium-ion batteries that employ liquid electrolytes due to their high energy density and enhanced safety. Among various types of solid electrolytes, sulfide-based electrolytes are being actively studied, because they exhibit high ionic conductivity and high ductility, which enable good interfacial contacts in solid electrolytes without sintering at high temperatures. To improve the energy density of the sulfide-based ASSLBs, it is essential to increase the loading of active material in the composite cathode. In this study, the Ni-rich LiNi_xCo_yMn_1-x-yO₂ (NCM) materials are explored with different Ni content, particle size, and crystalline form to probe suitable cathode active materials for high-performance ASSLBs with high energy density. The results reveal that single-crystalline LiNi_0.82Co_0.10Mn_0.08O₂ material with a small particle size exhibits the best cycling performance in the ASSLB assembled with a high mass loaded cathode (active mass loading: 26 mg cm⁻², areal capacity: 5.0 mAh cm⁻²) in terms of discharge capacity, capacity retention, and rate capability.