Disclosed are electrochemical devices, such as lithium ion battery electrodes, lithium ion conducting solid-state electrolytes, and solid-state lithium ion batteries including these electrodes and solid-state electrolytes. Also disclosed are methods for making such electrochemical devices. In particular, a segmented cell architecture disclosed herein enables solid state batteries to be flexible and capable of assuming a rolled or folded stack structure.

A method of manufacturing a solid-state electrolyte, the method including: providing a substrate; providing a precursor composition including a compound including a compound including lithium, a compound including lanthanum, and a compound including zirconium, and a solvent; disposing the precursor composition on the substrate to provide a coated substrate; treating the coated substrate at a temperature between −40° C. and 25° C. to form a precursor film on the substrate; and heat-treating the precursor film at a temperature of 500° C. to 1000° C. to manufacture the solid-state electrolyte, wherein the solid-state electrolyte includes Li.sub.(7-x)Al.sub.x/3La.sub.3Zr.sub.2O.sub.12 wherein 0≤x≤1, and wherein the solid-state electrolyte in the form of a film having a thickness of 5 nanometers to 1000 micrometers.

A method of controlling the ionic conductivity of a polymer member, including providing a plurality of particles of bi-doped garnet, dispersing the plurality of particles of bi-doped garnet in a PEO matrix to yield a polymer member, nucleating spherulites at bi-doped garnet particle sites, and growing spherulites to a critical density to provide ionic conductivity pathways throughout the polymer member.

The present invention provides a lithium ion conductive composite solid electrolyte including an oxide-based crystalline solid electrolyte and a sulfide-based solid electrolyte, wherein the oxide-based solid electrolyte is a garnet-type solid electrolyte represented by a general formula of Li.sub.7-3y-zAl.sub.yLa.sub.3Zr.sub.2-zM.sub.zO.sub.12, wherein M is at least one element selected from the group consisting of niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), and tungsten (W), y satisfies 0≤y≤1, and z satisfies 0≤z<2, the sulfide-based solid electrolyte is an argyrodite-based ceramic represented by a general formula of Li.sub.7-aPS.sub.6-aX.sub.a, wherein X is at least one element selected from the group consisting of chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and iodine (I), and a satisfies 0≤a≤2, and the oxide-based solid electrolyte and the sulfide-based solid electrolyte are mixed in a weight ratio of 5.1:4.9 to 8:2.

Synthesizing lithium lanthanum zirconate includes combining a reagent composition with a salt composition to yield a molten salt reaction medium, wherein the reagent composition comprises a lithium component, a lanthanum component, and zirconium component having a lithium:lanthanum:zirconium molar ratio of about 7:3:2; heating the molten salt reaction medium to yield a reaction product; and washing the reaction product to yield a crystalline powder comprising lithium lanthanum zirconate.

A membrane electrode assembly according to the present disclosure includes an electrode, an electrolyte layer bonded to the electrode and containing an electrolyte having proton conductivity, a metal frame, and a bonding layer disposed between a peripheral part of the electrolyte layer and the metal frame and held in contact with each of the electrolyte layer and the metal frame, wherein the bonding layer has a thickness of greater than or equal to 0.50 mm.

Disclosed is an anodeless-type all-solid-state battery. The all-solid-state battery includes a plurality of recesses formed in an electrolyte layer and to be depressed from a surface of the electrolyte layer contacting an anode collector and thus serve as spaces for lithium to reversibly precipitate.

An electrochemical cell comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a proton-conducting membrane between the first electrode and the second electrode. The first electrode comprises a layered perovskite having the general formula: DAB.sub.2O.sub.5+δ, wherein D consists of two or more lanthanide elements; A consists of one or more of Sr and Ba; B consists of one or more of Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mn, Cr, and Nd; and δ is an oxygen deficit. The second electrode comprises a cermet material including at least one metal and at least one perovskite. Related structures, apparatuses, systems, and methods are also described.

The present invention relates to a proton ceramic fuel cell which has a hydrogen-permeable film as an anode and in which an electrolyte material is BaZr.sub.xCe.sub.1-x-zY.sub.zO.sub.3 (x=0.1 to 0.8, z=0.1 to 0.25, x+z≤1.0) (BZCY). An electron-conducting oxide thin film having a film thickness of 1-100 nm is present between a cathode and an electrolyte comprising the material. The present invention also relates to a method for producing a proton ceramic fuel cell having a hydrogen-permeable film as an anode. The method comprises forming a thin film having a thickness of 1-100 nm between a cathode and an electrolyte comprising BZCY, the thin film comprising an electron-conducting oxide. The present invention provides a novel means for improving the output of a PCFC in which BZCY is used in an electrolyte material, and provides a PCFC having an output that exceeds a benchmark of 0.5 W cm.sup.−2 at 500° C.

Forming a lithium lanthanum zirconate thin film includes disposing zirconium oxide on a substrate to yield a zirconium oxide coating, contacting the zirconium oxide coating with a solution including a lithium salt and a lanthanum salt, heating the substrate to yield a dried salt coating on the zirconium oxide coating, melting the dried salt coating to yield a molten salt mixture, reacting the molten salt mixture with the zirconium oxide coating to yield lithium lanthanum zirconate, and cooling the lithium lanthanum zirconate to yield a lithium lanthanum zirconate coating on the substrate. In some cases, the zirconium oxide coating is contacted with an aqueous molten salt mixture including a lithium salt and a lanthanum salt, the molten salt mixture is reacted with the zirconium oxide coating to yield lithium lanthanum zirconate, and the lithium lanthanum zirconate is cooled to yield a lithium lanthanum zirconate coating on the substrate.