Insights into the Rich Polymorphism of the Na+ Ion Conductor Na3PS4 from the Perspective of Variable-Temperature Diffraction and Spectroscopy

International audienceSolid electrolytes are crucial for next-generation solid-state batteries, and Na 3 PS 4 is one of the most promising Na + conductors for such applications, despite outstanding questions regarding its structural polymorphs. In this contribution, we present a detailed investigation of the evolution in structure and dynamics of Na 3 PS 4 over a wide temperature range 30 < T < 600°C through combined experimental−computational analysis. Although Bragg diffraction experiments indicate a second-order phase transition from the tetragonal ground state (α, P4̅ 2 1 c) to the cubic polymorph (β, I4̅ 3m) above ∼250°C, pair distribution function analysis in real space and Raman spectroscopy indicate remnants of a tetragonal character in the range 250 < T < 500°C, which we attribute to dynamic local tetragonal distortions. The first-order phase transition to the mesophasic high-temperature polymorph (γ, Fddd) is associated with a sharp volume increase and the onset of liquid-like dynamics for sodium-cations (translational) and thiophosphate-polyanions (rotational) evident by inelastic neutron and Raman spectroscopies, as well as pair-distribution function and molecular dynamics analyses. These results shed light on the rich polymorphism of Na 3 PS 4 and are relevant for a range host of high-performance materials deriving from the Na 3 PS 4 structural archetype