Probing local dynamics in borohydride ammoniates by in situ inelastic neutron scattering

Achieving fast ion diffusion through solid electrolytes is essential for high-performance electrochemical devices such as all solid-state batteries and/or fuel cells. Lithium borohydride (LiBH4) shows promise as a fast ion conductor, but its application in solid-state batteries faces challenges due to unfavorable diffusion channels with high activation barriers at room temperature (RT). In this work, we have developed novel ammoniates as ammonia storage materials containing orthorhombic and hexagonal phases of LiBH4 with tunable Li+ conductivity, which can be further tuned for their use in all solid-state batteries. The proposed INS experiments will provide invaluable insights into dynamics of BH4/NH3 in our H-rich materials and help correlate this with the local structure and Li+ diffusion. The proposed work will not only help link the local structure and Li+ mobility in our system but also provide new insights into the local dynamics in various hydrogen and ammonia storage materials.