Gustaaf Van Tendeloo

Understanding the roles of anionic redox and oxygen release during electrochemical cycling of lithium-rich layered Li4FeSbO6.

Li-rich oxides continue to be of immense interest as potential next generation Li-ion battery positive electrodes, and yet the role of oxygen during cycling is still poorly understood. Here, the complex electrochemical behavior of Li4FeSbO6 materials is studied thoroughly with a variety of methods. Herein, we show that oxygen release occurs at a distinct voltage plateau from the peroxo/superoxo formation making this material ideal for revealing new aspects of oxygen redox processes in Li-rich oxides. Moreover, we directly demonstrate the limited reversibility of the oxygenated species (O2(n-); n = 1, 2, 3) for the first time. We also find that during charge to 4.2 V iron is oxidized from +3 to an unusual +4 state with the concomitant formation of oxygenated species. Upon further charge to 5.0 V, an oxygen release process associated with the reduction of iron +4 to +3 is present, indicative of the reductive coupling mechanism between oxygen and metals previously reported. Thus, in full state of charge, lithium removal is fully compensated by oxygen only, as the iron and antimony are both very close to their pristine states. Besides, this charging step results in complex phase transformations that are ultimately destructive to the crystallinity of the material. Such findings again demonstrate the vital importance of fully understanding the behavior of oxygen in such systems. The consequences of these new aspects of the electrochemical behavior of lithium-rich oxides are discussed in detail.

Preparation, Structure, and Electrochemistry of Layered Polyanionic Hydroxysulfates: LiMSO4OH (M = Fe, Co, Mn) Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries

The Li-ion rechargeable battery, due to its high energy density, has driven remarkable advances in portable electronics. Moving toward more sustainable electrodes could make this technology even more attractive to large-volume applications. We present here a new family of 3d-metal hydroxysulfates of general formula LiMSO4OH (M = Fe, Co, and Mn) among which (i) LiFeSO4OH reversibly releases 0.7 Li(+) at an average potential of 3.6 V vs Li(+)/Li(0), slightly higher than the potential of currently lauded LiFePO4 (3.45 V) electrode material, and (ii) LiCoSO4OH shows a redox activity at 4.7 V vs Li(+)/Li(0). Besides, these compounds can be easily made at temperatures near 200 °C via a synthesis process that enlists a new intermediate phase of composition M3(SO4)2(OH)2 (M = Fe, Co, Mn, and Ni), related to the mineral caminite. Structurally, we found that LiFeSO4OH is a layered phase unlike the previously reported 3.2 V tavorite LiFeSO4OH. This work should provide an impetus to experimentalists for designing better electrolytes to fully tap the capacity of high-voltage Co-based hydroxysulfates, and to theorists for providing a means to predict the electrochemical redox activity of two polymorphs.

An Oxysulfate Fe2O(SO4)2 Electrode for Sustainable Li-Based Batteries

High-performing Fe-based electrodes for Li-based batteries are eagerly pursued because of the abundance and environmental benignity of iron, with especially great interest in polyanionic compounds because of their flexibility in tuning the Fe(3+)/Fe(2+) redox potential. We report herein the synthesis and structure of a new Fe-based oxysulfate phase, Fe2O(SO4)2, made at low temperature from abundant elements, which electrochemically reacts with nearly 1.6 Li atoms at an average voltage of 3.0 V versus Li(+)/Li, leading to a sustained reversible capacity of ≈125 mAh/g. The Li insertion-deinsertion process, the first ever reported in any oxysulfate, entails complex phase transformations associated with the position of iron within the FeO6 octahedra. This finding opens a new path worth exploring in the quest for new positive electrode materials.

Ordering of Pd2+ and Pd4+ in the Mixed-Valent Palladate KPd2O3

A new potassium palladate KPd(2)O(3) was synthesized by the reaction of KO(2) and PdO at elevated oxygen pressure. Its crystal structure was solved from powder X-ray diffraction data in the space group R3m (a = 6.0730(1) A, c = 18.7770(7) A, and Z = 6). KPd(2)O(3) represents a new structure type, consisting of an alternating sequence of K(+) and Pd(2)O(3)(-) layers with ordered Pd(2+) and Pd(4+) ions. The presence of palladium ions in di- and tetravalent low-spin states was confirmed by magnetic susceptibility measurements.

Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16: First Noncentrosymmetric Structure among Alkaline-Metal Lanthanide Selenite Halides

Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16, the complex selenite chloride of cesium and neodymium, was synthesized in the NdOCl-SeO2-CsCl system. The compound has been characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, luminescence spectroscopy, and second-harmonic-generation techniques. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16 crystallizes in an orthorhombic unit cell with a = 15.911(1) Å, b = 15.951(1) Å, and c = 25.860(1) Å and a noncentrosymmetric space group Pna2(1) (No. 33). The crystal structure of Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16 can be represented as a stacking of Nd11(SeO3)12 lamellas and CsCl-like layers. Because of the layered nature of the Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16 structure, it features numerous planar defects originating from occasionally missing the CsCl-like layer and violating the perfect stacking of the Nd11(SeO3)12 lamellas. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16 represents the first example of a noncentrosymmetric structure among alkaline-metal lanthanide selenite halides. Cs7Nd11(SeO3)12Cl16 demonstrates luminescence emission in the near-IR region with reduced efficiency due to a high concentration of Nd(3+) ions causing nonradiative cross-relaxation.

Cationic clathrate of type-III Ge(172-x)P(x)Te(y) (y ≈ 21.5, x ≈ 2y): synthesis, crystal structure and thermoelectric properties.

A first germanium-based cationic clathrate of type-III, Ge(129.3)P(42.7)Te(21.53), was synthesized and structurally characterized (space group P4(2)/mnm, a = 19.948(3) Å, c = 10.440(2) Å, Z = 1). In its crystal structure, germanium and phosphorus atoms form three types of polyhedral cages centered with Te atoms. The polyhedra share pentagonal and hexagonal faces to form a 3D framework. Despite the complexity of the crystal structure, the Ge(129.3)P(42.7)Te(21.53) composition corresponds to the Zintl counting scheme with a good accuracy. Ge(129.3)P(42.7)Te(21.53) demonstrates semiconducting/insulating behavior of electric resistivity, high positive Seebeck coefficient (500 μV K(-1) at 300 K), and low thermal conductivity (<0.92 W m(-1) K(-1)) within the measured temperature range.

Sr21Bi8Cu2(CO3)2O41, a Bi5+ Oxycarbonate with an Original 10L Structure

The layered structure of Sr21Bi8Cu2(CO3)2O41 (Z = 2) was determined by transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction refinement in space group P6₃/mcm (No. 194), with a = 10.0966(3)Å and c = 26.3762(5)Å. This original 10L-type structure is built from two structural blocks, namely, [Sr15Bi6Cu2(CO3)O29] and [Sr6Bi2(CO3)O12]. The Bi(5+) cations form [Bi2O10] dimers, whereas the Cu(2+) and C atoms occupy infinite tunnels running along c⃗. The nature of the different blocks and layers is discussed with regard to the existing hexagonal layered compounds. Sr21Bi8Cu2(CO3)2O41 is insulating and paramagnetic.

Compositionally induced phase transition in the Ca_{2}MnGa_{1-x}Al_{x}O_{5} solid solutions: ordering of tetrahedral chains in brownmillerite structure

The Ca 2 MnGa 1-x Al x O 5 solid solutions (0.2 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) with brownmillerite-type structure were synthesized by solid state reaction at 1250°C for 40 h in Ar flow. The structures of the solid solutions were studied using X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and high resolution electron microscopy. Replacing Ga by Al introduces a phase transformation from the brownmillerite structure with the Pnma space symmetry (x ≤ 0.5) to a structure with 12mb space symmetry (x > 0.5). The structures differ by the ordering pattern of the mirror-related tetrahedral chains (L and R): in the primitive structure the L and R chains form alternating layers whereas in the body-centered phase all chains are of the same type. The crystal structure of Ca 2 MnGa 0.5 Al 0.5 O 5 was refined from X-ray powder diffraction data (space group Pnma, a = 5.25175(5) A, b = 15.1426(2) A, c = 5.46029(6) A, R I = 0.042, Rp = 0.017). A specific feature of this structure is disorder in the Ga layer with intermixing of the L and R chains in a 2:1 ratio. The disorder is related to the formation of numerous antiphase boundaries (APBs) with R = 1/2[111] as a displacement vector, which produces two adjacent tetrahedral layers with the same type of chains in the initial -L-R-L-R-L- layer sequence of the Pnma phase. The density of APBs increases with increasing x resulting in the formation of slabs of the 12mb phase up to a complete phase transformation. Dipole-dipole interactions between the tetrahedral chains are discussed as a possible driving force causing various patterns of tetrahedral chain ordering.

Synthesis, cation ordering, and magnetic properties of the (Sb_{1-x}Pb_{x})_{2}(Mn_{1-y}Sb_{y})O_{4} solid solutions with the Sb_{2}MnO_{4} -type structure

Single phase (Sb1-xPbx)2(Mn1-ySby)O4 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.608, 0.0 ≤ y ≤ 0.372) samples with the Sb2MnO4−type structure were prepared at 650 °C by solid-state reaction in evacuated sealed silica tubes. A replacement of Sb by Pb results in the oxidation of Sb3+ to Sb5+, which in turn replaces Mn2+ cations in octahedrally coordinated positions within the infinite rutile-type chains. The crystal structures of Pb0.44Sb1.64Mn0.92O4, Pb0.75Sb1.48Mn0.77O4, Pb1.07Sb1.26Mn0.67O4, and Pb1.186Sb1.175Mn0.639O4 were refined from X-ray powder diffraction data. Increasing the Pb content leads to a decrease of the a parameter from a = 8.719(2) A to a = 8.6131(8) A and to an increase of the c parameter from c = 5.999(2) A to c = 6.2485(7) A (for Sb2MnO4 and Pb1.216Sb1.155Mn0.628O4, respectively). This occurs due to increasing average cation size at the Pb/Sb position and decreasing cation size at the Mn/Sb position that leads to strong deformation of the (Mn/Sb)O6 octahedra. Starting from the Pb0.75Sb1.48Mn0.77O4 composition a mo...