Matthieu Saubanère

Visualization of O-O peroxo-like dimers in high-capacity layered oxides for Li-ion batteries

Peering into cathode layered oxides The quest for better rechargeable batteries means finding ways to pack more energy into a smaller mass or volume. Lithium layered oxides are a promising class of materials that could double storage capacities. However, the design of safe and long-lasting batteries requires an understanding of the physical and chemical changes that occur during redox processes. McCalla et al. used a combination of experiments and calculations to understand the formation of O-O dimers, which are key to improving the properties of these cathode materials. Science, this issue p. 1516 A model lithium layered oxide is used to probe the enhanced charge storage capacity of this family of materials. Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries that rely on cationic redox reactions are the primary energy source for portable electronics. One pathway toward greater energy density is through the use of Li-rich layered oxides. The capacity of this class of materials (>270 milliampere hours per gram) has been shown to be nested in anionic redox reactions, which are thought to form peroxo-like species. However, the oxygen-oxygen (O-O) bonding pattern has not been observed in previous studies, nor has there been a satisfactory explanation for the irreversible changes that occur during first delithiation. By using Li2IrO3 as a model compound, we visualize the O-O dimers via transmission electron microscopy and neutron diffraction. Our findings establish the fundamental relation between the anionic redox process and the evolution of the O-O bonding in layered oxides.

Requirements for reversible extra-capacity in Li-rich layered oxides for Li-ion batteries

The structural stability and the redox mechanism of Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) are two very important aspects for high energy density. The former is related to the irreversible loss of lattice oxygen and capacity fading during cycling, while the latter determines the overall capacity of the materials. This paper aims at clarifying the factors governing the structural stability, the extra capacity and the redox mechanism of LLOs upon Li-removal. The results show that the structural stability against oxygen vacancy formation is improved with increasing M–O covalency, while it decreases with increasing d-shell electron number and with electrochemical extraction of lithium from the lattice. The redox mechanism of Li2−xMO3 electrodes formed by 3d metals or by heavier metals with a d0 electronic configuration is related to the electron depletion from the oxygen lone-pairs (localized non-bonding O(2p) states) leading to an irreversible anionic redox ending with the reductive elimination of O2 upon cycling. For these phases, long-term cycling is predicted to be very unlikely due to the irreversible loss of lattice oxygen upon charging. For the electrodes formed by 4d and 5d metals with intermediate dn electronic configurations, reversible cationic and anionic redox activities are predicted, therefore enabling reversible extra-capacities. The very different redox mechanisms exhibited by Li2−xMO3 electrodes are then linked to the delicate balance between the Coulomb repulsions (U term) and the M–O bond covalency (Δ term) through the general description of charge-transfer vs. Mott–Hubbard insulators. The present findings will provide a uniform guideline for tuning the band structures of Li2MO3 phases and thus activating desired redox mechanisms, being beneficial for the design of high-energy density electrode materials for Li-ion battery applications.

An intuitive and efficient method for cell voltage prediction of lithium and sodium-ion batteries

The voltage delivered by rechargeable Lithium- and Sodium-ion batteries is a key parameter to qualify the device as promising for future applications. Here we report a new formulation of the cell voltage in terms of chemically intuitive quantities that can be rapidly and quantitatively evaluated from the alkaliated crystal structure with no need of first-principles calculations. The model, which is here validated on a wide series of existing cathode materials, provides new insights into the physical and chemical features of a crystal structure that influence the material potential. In particular, we show that disordered materials with cationic intermixing must exhibit higher potentials than their ordered homologues. The present method is utilizable by any solid-state chemist, is fully predictive and allows rapid assessement of material potentials, thus opening new directions for the challenging project of material design in rechargeable batteries.

Chemical Activity of the Peroxide/Oxide Redox Couple: Case Study of Ba5Ru2O11 in Aqueous and Organic Solvents

The finding that triggering the redox activity of oxygen ions within the lattice of transition metal oxides can boost the performances of materials used in energy storage and conversion devices such as Li-ion batteries or oxygen evolution electrocatalysts has recently spurred intensive and innovative research in the field of energy. While experimental and theoretical efforts have been critical in understanding the role of oxygen nonbonding states in the redox activity of oxygen ions, a clear picture of the redox chemistry of the oxygen species formed upon this oxidation process is still missing. This can be, in part, explained by the complexity in stabilizing and studying these species once electrochemically formed. In this work, we alleviate this difficulty by studying the phase Ba5Ru2O11, which contains peroxide O22– groups, as oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst and Li-ion battery material. Combining physical characterization and electrochemical measurements, we demonstrate that peroxide groups can easily be oxidized at relatively low potential, leading to the formation of gaseous dioxygen and to the instability of the oxide. Furthermore, we demonstrate that, owing to the stabilization at high energy of peroxide, the high-lying energy of the empty σ* antibonding O–O states limits the reversibility of the electrochemical reactions when the O22–/O2– redox couple is used as redox center for Li-ion battery materials or as OER redox active sites. Overall, this work suggests that the formation of true peroxide O22– states are detrimental for transition metal oxides used as OER catalysts and Li-ion battery materials. Rather, oxygen species with O–O bond order lower than 1 would be preferred for these applications.

Atomistic Modeling of Electrode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries: From Bulk to Interfaces

In the field of energy materials, the computational modeling of electrochemical devices such as fuel cells, rechargeable batteries, photovoltaic cells, or photo-batteries that combine energy conversion and storage represent a great challenge for theoreticians. Given the wide variety of issues related to the modeling of each of these devices, this chapter is restricted to the study of rechargeable batteries (accumulators) and, more particularly, Li-ion batteries. The aim of this chapter is to emphasize some of the key problems related to the theoretical and computational treatment of these complex systems and to present some of the state-of-the-art computational techniques and methodologies being developed in this area to meet one of the greatest challenges of our century in terms of energy storage.