Overview

• Scientists at the Technical University of Munich have developed a scandium-doped lithium antimonide material with record-breaking ionic conductivity, surpassing previous benchmarks by more than 30%.
• The breakthrough leverages vacancy engineering, where scandium substitution creates deliberate gaps in the crystal lattice to enhance lithium ion mobility.
• Validation required adapting electrochemical measurement methods to account for dual ionic and electronic conductivity, confirming the material's superior performance.
• The material demonstrates thermal stability, scalability through established chemical methods, and potential applications in next-generation solid-state batteries.
• Patents have been filed, and researchers are optimizing synthesis parameters while exploring how the vacancy engineering principle could be applied to other materials like lithium-phosphorus systems.