In a study from the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory, researchers have identified a new boundary layer that emerges between a lithium metal anode and a lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) electrolyte.
To improve the ability of the solid electrolyte to transfer lithium ions back and forth between the battery's anode and cathode, and to stabilize the structure of the electrolyte, other metals--niobium, tantalum, and aluminum--were inserted into the LLZO electrolyte in a process called doping.