Miwa Murakami

Direct observation of layered-to-spinel phase transformation in Li2MnO3 and the spinel structure stabilised after the activation process

Li2MnO3 is an important parent component in lithium- and manganese-rich layered oxides (LMRs), which are one of the promising positive electrode materials for next-generation lithium ion rechargeable batteries. Here, we report the layered-to-spinel phase transformation in Li2MnO3 during the initial charging process to characterise its unique delithiation behaviour, which gives an insight into the relationship between the structure, superior capacities and degradation of LMR electrodes. The atomic-scale observation using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) techniques suggests that the structural transformation occurs in a biphasic manner within a single particle. The formed phase has a Li-defect spinel structure, indicating that the delithiation leads to Mn migration from the transition-metal layer to the Li layer, accompanied by some oxygen release. This layered-to-spinel phase transformation is an essential bulk process in the initial activation of Li2MnO3. During the lithiation in the 1st discharge, the Mn remigration occurs and the layered structure is again formed with significant disordering. During the multiple cycles, the defect spinel structure is stabilised and becomes more oxygen-deficient with a lower Mn valency. As a consequence, the amount of inserted Li decreases, which corresponds to the capacity and voltage fading observed in Li2MnO3 and LMRs.

Selective observation of a spinning-sideband manifold of paramagnetic solids by rotation-synchronized DANTE

We examine applicability of rotation-synchronized Delays Alternating with Nutation for Tailored Excitation (rs-DANTE) to a crowded sideband spectrum spreading over a few 100 kHz by the paramagnetic interaction. It is shown that rs-DANTE can be used to excite (6)Li spinning sideband manifolds of the three crystallographic Li sites (2b, 4h, and 2c) in a magic-angle spinning (MAS) spectrum of (6)Li-enriched Li2MnO3. The observed lineshape is insensitive to rf inhomogeneiety, thus indicating practical applicability of rs-DANTE to a paramagnetic system. Each sideband pattern can be described by the paramagnetic anisotropies evaluated by taking the electron-(6)Li dipolar interactions into account. The isotropic chemical shift for each site can thus be obtained by comparing the experimental sideband pattern to the calculated one. It is therefore possible by this approach to obtain both isotropic and anisotropic shift information. Further effects of structural disorder in Li2MnO3 on the isotropic shift and the sideband pattern are discussed.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Study of Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this chapter, the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to lithium-ion batteries is discussed. It is shown that observation of lithium in anode carbon materials is straightforward and in situ NMR during charge/discharge has been realized. Examination of solid-state NMR of various nuclear spins in electrode materials using a technique called magic-angle spinning (MAS) is introduced. Further, measurement of the diffusion coefficient and observation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of lithium-ion batteries using the pulsed-field-gradient technique are discussed.