Reconstructions and Dynamics of $β$-Lithium Thiophosphate Surfaces

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Türk, Hanna, Tisi, Davide, Ceriotti, Michele
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Türk, Hanna
Tisi, Davide
Ceriotti, Michele
author_facet Türk, Hanna
Tisi, Davide
Ceriotti, Michele
contents Lithium thiophosphate (LPS) is a promising solid electrolyte for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to its superior energy storage, high ionic conductivity, and low-flammability components. Despite its potential, the high reactivity of LPS with common contaminants such as atmospheric water, preparation solvents, and electrode materials poses significant challenges for commercialization. The lack of understanding regarding the structure, morphology, and chemical behavior of LPS's surface slows down the search for solutions to these issues. Here, we utilize a machine learning interatomic potential to achieve a fundamental, atomistic understanding of the mechanical and chemical properties of the $β$-Li$_3$PS$_4$ surfaces. Employing molecular dynamics simulations, we identify relevant surface complexions formed by surface reconstructions, determine their surface energies and compute the Wulff shape of $β$-LPS. The most stable complexions exhibit properties distinctly different from the bulk, including amorphization, increased density, decreased conductivity and large deformation of the structure building blocks. We demonstrate that these surfaces are not static, but undergo significant dynamical activity which is clearly identified by an analysis featuring a time-averaged structural descriptor. Finally, we examine the changes of the electronic structure induced by the surface complexions, which provides us with details on changes in surface reactivity and active sites, underlining the importance to investigate surface complexions under realistic conditions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2504_11553
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Reconstructions and Dynamics of $β$-Lithium Thiophosphate Surfaces
Türk, Hanna
Tisi, Davide
Ceriotti, Michele
Materials Science
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
Lithium thiophosphate (LPS) is a promising solid electrolyte for next-generation lithium-ion batteries due to its superior energy storage, high ionic conductivity, and low-flammability components. Despite its potential, the high reactivity of LPS with common contaminants such as atmospheric water, preparation solvents, and electrode materials poses significant challenges for commercialization. The lack of understanding regarding the structure, morphology, and chemical behavior of LPS's surface slows down the search for solutions to these issues. Here, we utilize a machine learning interatomic potential to achieve a fundamental, atomistic understanding of the mechanical and chemical properties of the $β$-Li$_3$PS$_4$ surfaces. Employing molecular dynamics simulations, we identify relevant surface complexions formed by surface reconstructions, determine their surface energies and compute the Wulff shape of $β$-LPS. The most stable complexions exhibit properties distinctly different from the bulk, including amorphization, increased density, decreased conductivity and large deformation of the structure building blocks. We demonstrate that these surfaces are not static, but undergo significant dynamical activity which is clearly identified by an analysis featuring a time-averaged structural descriptor. Finally, we examine the changes of the electronic structure induced by the surface complexions, which provides us with details on changes in surface reactivity and active sites, underlining the importance to investigate surface complexions under realistic conditions.
title Reconstructions and Dynamics of $β$-Lithium Thiophosphate Surfaces
topic Materials Science
Disordered Systems and Neural Networks
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.11553