Silver ions seal tiny flaws and prevent lithium from causing further damage, greatly strengthening solid-state battery ceramic core

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/01/260118064641.htm

"brittle ceramic LLZO electrolytes develop microscopic surface cracks leading to battery failure... apply 3-nm silver layer onto electrolyte surface, heat silver to 300°C causing silver ions to replace smaller lithium ions within crystal structure to 20 to 50 nm depth... becomes 5X more resistant to cracking under mechanical pressure... scalable production... similar but less protection using less costly copper instead... also applicable to sodium batteries... future: sulfur-based electrolytes further improving stability/ lifespan"

Related: New process for stable, long-lasting all-solid-state batteries
https://www.psi.ch/en/news/media-releases/new-process-for-stable-long-lasting-all-solid-state-batteries