Thomas Eckl

Ab initio screening methodology applied to the search for new permanent magnetic materials

In this paper a computational high-throughput screening (HTS) approach to the search for alternative permanent magnetic materials is presented. Systems considered for a start are binary intermetallic compounds composed of rare-earth (RE) and transition metal (TM) elements. With the tight-binding-linear muffin-tin-orbital-atomic-sphere-approximation (TB-LMTO-ASA) method of density functional theory (DFT) a variety of RE?TM intermetallic phases is investigated and their magnetic properties are obtained at rather low computational costs. Next, interstitial elements such as boron, carbon and nitrogen in these phases are considered. For promising candidate phases with high and stable spontaneous ferromagnetic polarization, the calculated local magnetic moments and exchange coupling parameters, as obtained from TB-LMTO-ASA calculations, are then used for Monte Carlo simulations to identify candidates with sufficiently high Curie temperatures (Tc). Finally, magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants (K1) of the most promising candidate phases are calculated with accurate, potential-shape-unrestricted DFT calculations using the Vienna ab initio simulation package. The computational HTS procedure is illustrated by results for a selection of hard-magnetic RE?TM phases like RETM5, RE2TM17 and RE2TM14B.

Oxygen activity and peroxide formation as charge compensation mechanisms in Li2MnO3

In the search for high energy density battery materials, over-lithiated transition metal oxides have attracted the attention of many researchers worldwide. There is, however, no consensus regarding the underlying mechanisms that give rise to the large capacities and also cause the electrochemical degradation upon cycling. As a key component and prototype phase, Li2MnO3 is investigated using density functional theory. Our calculations show that hole doping into the oxygen bands is the primary charge compensation mechanism in the first stage of delithiation. Upon further delithiation, there is an energetic driving force for peroxide formation with an optimal number of peroxide dimers that is predicted as a function of lithium concentration. Unlike the defect-free phases, the peroxide structures are highly stable, which leads to two competing mechanisms for charge compensation: (i) oxygen loss and densification at the surface and (ii) peroxide formation in the bulk. Our results show that both have a detrimental effect on the electrochemical performance and therefore the stabilization of oxygen in the crystal lattice is vital for the development of high energy cathode materials. The insights into the origin and implications of peroxide formation open the door for a more profound understanding of the degradation mechanism and how to counteract it.

Finite-temperature property-maps of Li–Mn–Ni–O cathode materials from ab initio calculations

We report first-principles calculations for determining the phase relationships in multi-component cathode materials. We investigate the effect of delithiation on the phase stability, chemical potential, and open circuit voltage for a selection of cathode materials based on Li–Mn–Ni oxides at various temperatures. Entropic contributions are included by calculating the phonon frequencies in the harmonic approximation. The open circuit voltage in multi-component systems is estimated by a convex hull approach. We confirm that spinel-like phases are predominant during the charging process of layered Li–Mn–O cathode materials and that the addition of Ni reduces the spinel content. The analysis of phase stability upon delithiation suggests that the Li2MnO3 component in the Li2MnO3·Li(Mn,Ni)O2 electrode material should not exceed 60% and that the amount of Ni in the LiMnO2 component should be above 40 at% for minimizing spinel-type phase formation and minimizing oxygen formation. Using the computed structural stability at room temperature, we derive property maps for the design of Li–Mn–Ni–O cathode materials.