Roberta Ann Meisner

Intrinsic thermodynamic and kinetic properties of Sb electrodes for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries: experiment and theory

A detailed comparative study between the electrochemical lithiation and sodiation of pure antimony (Sb), relating changes in structural, thermodynamic, kinetic and electrochemical properties has been carried out. For this purpose, a wide range of measurements using electrochemical (galvanostatic cycling, GITT, PITT), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) methods as well as density functional theory (DFT) based investigations have been undertaken. Assessment of the thermodynamics reveals that the reaction proceeds identically during the first and second cycles for Li whereas it differs between the first and subsequent cycles for Na as the reaction with Na proceeds through a different pathway associated with the formation of amorphous NaxSb phases. For the first time we rationalize the amorphization of NaxSb phases by the long ranged strain propagation due to Na-vacancy compared to Li–Sb. At full discharge, our XRD results show for the first time that a minor fraction of hexagonal Li3Sb forms concomitantly with cubic Li3Sb. The XRD results confirm that Sb crystallizes into hexagonal Na3Sb at full sodiation. The kinetics of the reaction is assessed by rate performance tests which highlight that both Li and Na can diffuse rapidly throughout micron thick films at room temperature. However, it is found that the (de)insertion of Li provides lower overpotentials and larger storage capacities compared to Na. The difference in rate performance is complemented by diffusion coefficient determinations near the 0 V region where both materials are crystallized into M3Sb (M = Li, Na). Interestingly, calculations show that the energy barrier for near-neighbor vacancy migration, predominant in these close-packed phases, is about twice for Na than for Li. Our analysis tries to relate the lower intrinsic diffusivity of Na compared to Li with the long-range strain propagation induced by the former, thereby leading to an intrinsic origin of differences in rates, mechanical properties and amorphization. Finally, the surface chemistry of Sb electrodes cycled in NaClO4 dissolved in pure PC with(out) the addition of 5 wt% EC or FEC shows presence of ethers and NaF for the EC- and FEC-based electrolytes, respectively, and SEI films rich in Na-based carbonates.

Investigating phase transformation in the Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 lithium-ion battery cathode during high-voltage hold (4.5 V) via magnetic, X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy studies

This study is the first that provides evidence of phase transformation in a Li-rich Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 cathode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) during constant voltage charging. Diffraction and magnetic measurement techniques were successfully implemented to investigate the structural transformation in this cathode material during holding a half-cell at 4.5 V in a charged state. The results from X-ray diffraction showed a decrease in c-lattice parameters during high-voltage hold. Magnetic data revealed an increase in average effective magnetic moments of transition metal (TM) ions at constant voltage corresponding to a change in electronic states of TM ions. Analysis showed the reduction of Ni4+ to Ni2+, which was attributed to charge compensation due to oxygen loss. The appearance of the strong {100} forbidden reflection in the single-crystal selected area electron diffraction (SAED) data was attributed to migration of transition metal ions to the octahedral vacancy sites in the lithium layer during high-voltage hold, which was in agreement with the magnetization results. After prolonged hold at 4.5 V, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images along with SAED results showed the presence of spinel phases in the particles, indicating a layered to spinel like phase transformation at constant voltage in agreement with the magnetic data. The results obtained from these magnetic and diffraction studies furnish the fundamental understanding of the structural transformation pathways in Li-rich cathodes at constant voltage and will be instrumental for modifying the parent structure to achieve greater stability.

Correlating cation ordering and voltage fade in a lithium–manganese-rich lithium-ion battery cathode oxide: a joint magnetic susceptibility and TEM study

Structure-electrochemical property correlation is presented for lithium-manganese-rich layered-layered nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LMR-NMC) having composition Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 (TODA HE5050) in order to examine the possible reasons for voltage fade during short-to-mid-term electrochemical cycling. The Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 based cathodes were cycled at two different upper cutoff voltages (UCV), 4.2 V and 4.8 V, for 1, 10, and 125 cycles; voltage fade was observed after 10 and 125 cycles only when the UCV was 4.8 V. Magnetic susceptibility and selected-area electron diffraction data showed the presence of cation ordering in the pristine material, which remained after 125 cycles when the UCV was 4.2 V. When cycled at 4.8 V, the magnetic susceptibility results showed the suppression of cation ordering after one cycle; the cation ordering diminished upon further cycling and was not observed after 125 cycles. Selected-area electron diffraction data from oxides oriented towards the [0001] zone axis revealed a decrease in the intensity of cation-ordering reflections after one cycle and an introduction of spinel-type reflections after 10 cycles at 4.8 V; after 125 cycles, only the spinel-type reflections and the fundamental O3 layered oxide reflections were observed. A significant decrease in the effective magnetic moment of the compound after one cycle at 4.8 V indicated the presence of lithium and/or oxygen vacancies; analysis showed a reduction of Mn(4+) (high spin/low spin) in the pristine oxide to Mn(3+) (low spin) after one cycle. The effective magnetic moment was higher after 10 and 125 cycles at 4.8 V, suggesting the presence of Mn(3+) in a high spin state, which is believed to originate from distorted spinel (Li2Mn2O4) and/or spinel (LiMn2O4) compounds. The increase in effective magnetic moments was not observed when the oxide was cycled at 4.2 V, indicating the stability of the structure under these conditions. This study shows that structural rearrangements in the LMR-NMC oxide happen only at higher potentials (4.8 V, for example) and provides evidence of a direct correlation between cation ordering and voltage fade.

Structural transformation in a Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 lithium-ion battery cathode during high-voltage hold

A decrease in the c-lattice parameter was observed in Li1.2Co0.1Mn0.55Ni0.15O2 during constant voltage holding at 4.5 V by in situ X-ray diffraction. Comparison of magnetic susceptibility data before and after high-voltage hold reveals the change in average oxidation states of transition metal ions during high-voltage holding process. Transmission electron microscopy studies show the spinel reflections with fundamental trigonal spots from the particles after high-voltage hold indicating substantial structural modification. The structural transformation was believed to occur due to the oxygen release and/or the migration of transition metal cations to lithium layer during constant voltage holding.

Novel cell design for combined in situ acoustic emission and x-ray diffraction study during electrochemical cycling of batteries

An in situ acoustic emission (AE) and x-ray diffraction cell for use in the study of battery electrode materials has been designed and tested. This cell uses commercially available coin cell hardware retrofitted with a metalized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) disk, which acts as both an x-ray window and a current collector. In this manner, the use of beryllium and its associated cost and hazards is avoided. An AE sensor may be affixed to the cell face opposite the PET window in order to monitor degradation effects, such as particle fracture, during cell cycling. Silicon particles, which were previously studied by the AE technique, were tested in this cell as a model material. The performance of these cells compared well with unmodified coin cells, while providing information about structural changes in the active material as the cell is repeatedly charged and discharged.

TiO2 nanotube arrays grown in ionic liquids: high-efficiency in photocatalysis and pore-widening

Debris-free, long, well-separated TiO2 nanotube arrays were obtained using an ionic liquid (IL) as electrolyte. The high conductivity of IL resulted in fast pore widening and few contaminants from electrolyte decomposition leading to high photocatalytic efficiency in water splitting.

Degradation mechanisms of lithium-rich nickel manganese cobalt oxide cathode thin films

This paper reports a method to prepare Li-rich NMC (Li1.2Mn0.55Ni0.15Co0.1O2) thin film cathodes for Li-ion batteries using RF magnetron sputtering and post-annealing in O2. Thin film cathodes with high reversible capacities (260 mA h g−1) and potential profiles similar to those of the powder material have been obtained. Structural and electrochemical studies show that the grown materials consist of a layered structure with trigonal symmetry in which Li/TM ordering is partially achieved. Using XPS we determine that the surface is comprised of Mn4+, Co3+ and Ni2+ cations inside an O2− framework. The loss mechanisms of these electrodes have been studied after 184 cycles. The data after cycling shows the absence of Li/TM ordering, confirming that Li2MnO3 activation is irreversible, while electron diffraction data indicates extensive structural modifications upon cycling. In addition, we identified that the surface chemistry is dominated by inorganic species (LiF, Lix′POy′Fz′, LixPFy), along with small amounts of organic species with C–O and O–CO groups such as PEO, LiOR and RCO2Li. Moreover, XPS results indicate that Ni and Co migrate into the bulk while the reduction of Mn4+ into Mn3+ is clearly evidenced, as expected from the activation of Li2MnO3 domains and discharging to 2.5 V.

The local atomic structure and chemical bonding in sodium tin phases

To understand the electrochemically-derived Na–Sn we have reinvestigated the formation of Na–Sn alloys to identify all the phases which form when x ≥ 1 (NaxSn) and characterized the local bonding around the Sn atoms with X-ray diffraction, 119Sn Mossbauer spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. The results from the well-defined crystallographic materials were compared to the spectroscopic measurements of the local Sn structures in the electrochemically prepared materials. The reinvestigation of the Na–Sn compounds yields a number of new results: (i) Na7Sn3 is a new thermodynamically-stable phase with a rhombohedral structure and Rm space group; (ii) orthorhombic Na9Sn4 (Cmcm) has relatively slow formation kinetics suggesting why it does not form at room temperature during the electrochemical reaction; (iii) orthorhombic ‘Na14.78Sn4’ (Pnma), better described as Na16−xSn4, is Na-richer than cubic Na15Sn4 (I3d). Characterization of electrochemically prepared Na–Sn alloys indicate that, with the exception of Na7Sn3 and Na15Sn4, different crystal structures than similar Na–Sn compositions prepared via classic solid state reactions are formed. These phases are composed of disordered structures characteristic of kinetic-driven solid-state amorphization reactions. In these structures, Sn coordinates in asymmetric environments, which differ significantly from the environments present in Na–Sn model compounds.

Scalable production of microbially mediated zinc sulfide nanoparticles and application to functional thin films

A series of semiconducting zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles were scalably, reproducibly, controllably and economically synthesized with anaerobic metal-reducing Thermoanaerobacter species. These bacteria reduced partially oxidized sulfur sources to sulfides that extracellularly and thermodynamically incorporated with zinc ions to produce sparingly soluble ZnS nanoparticles with ∼5nm crystallites at yields of ∼5gl(-1)month(-1). A predominant sphalerite formation was facilitated by rapid precipitation kinetics, a low cation/anion ratio and a higher zinc concentration compared to background to produce a naturally occurring hexagonal form at the low temperature, and/or water adsorption in aqueous conditions. The sphalerite ZnS nanoparticles exhibited narrow size distribution, high emission intensity and few native defects. Scale-up and emission tunability using copper doping were confirmed spectroscopically. Surface characterization was determined using Fourier transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, which confirmed amino acid as proteins and bacterial fermentation end products not only maintaining a nano-dimensional average crystallite size, but also increasing aggregation. The application of ZnS nanoparticle ink to a functional thin film was successfully tested for potential future applications.

Temperature-dependent thermal expansion of cast and hot-pressed LAST (Pb–Sb–Ag–Te) thermoelectric materials

The thermal expansion for two compositions of cast and hot-pressed LAST (Pb–Sb–Ag–Te) n-type thermoelectric materials has been measured between room temperature and 673 K via thermomechanical analysis (TMA). In addition, using high-temperature X-ray diffraction (HT-XRD), the thermal expansion for both cast and hot-pressed LAST materials was determined from the temperature-dependent lattice parameters measured between room temperature and 623 K. The TMA and HT-XRD determined values of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) for the LAST compositions ranged between 20 × 10−6 K−1 and 24 × 10−6 K−1, which is comparable to the CTE values for other thermoelectric materials including PbTe and Bi2Te3. The CTE of the LAST specimens with a higher Ag content (Ag0.86Pb19Sb1.0Te20) exhibited a higher CTE value than that of the LAST material with a lower Ag content (Ag0.43Pb18Sb1.2Te20). In addition, a peak in the temperature-dependent CTE was observed between room temperature and approximately 450 K for both the cast and hot-pressed LAST with the Ag0.86Pb19Sb1.0Te20 composition, whereas the CTE of the Ag0.43Pb18Sb1.2Te20 specimen increased monotonically with temperature.