Yong-Ning Zhou

Structural changes and thermal stability of charged LiNixMnyCozO2 cathode materials studied by combined in situ time-resolved XRD and mass spectroscopy

Thermal stability of charged LiNixMnyCozO2 (NMC, with x + y + z = 1, x:y:z = 4:3:3 (NMC433), 5:3:2 (NMC532), 6:2:2 (NMC622), and 8:1:1 (NMC811)) cathode materials is systematically studied using combined in situ time-resolved X-ray diffraction and mass spectroscopy (TR-XRD/MS) techniques upon heating up to 600 °C. The TR-XRD/MS results indicate that the content of Ni, Co, and Mn significantly affects both the structural changes and the oxygen release features during heating: the more Ni and less Co and Mn, the lower the onset temperature of the phase transition (i.e., thermal decomposition) and the larger amount of oxygen release. Interestingly, the NMC532 seems to be the optimized composition to maintain a reasonably good thermal stability, comparable to the low-nickel-content materials (e.g., NMC333 and NMC433), while having a high capacity close to the high-nickel-content materials (e.g., NMC811 and NMC622). The origin of the thermal decomposition of NMC cathode materials was elucidated by the changes in the oxidation states of each transition metal (TM) cations (i.e., Ni, Co, and Mn) and their site preferences during thermal decomposition. It is revealed that Mn ions mainly occupy the 3a octahedral sites of a layered structure (R3̅m) but Co ions prefer to migrate to the 8a tetrahedral sites of a spinel structure (Fd3̅m) during the thermal decomposition. Such element-dependent cation migration plays a very important role in the thermal stability of NMC cathode materials. The reasonably good thermal stability and high capacity characteristics of the NMC532 composition is originated from the well-balanced ratio of nickel content to manganese and cobalt contents. This systematic study provides insight into the rational design of NMC-based cathode materials with a desired balance between thermal stability and high energy density.

Sodiation via Heterogeneous Disproportionation in FeF2 Electrodes for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Sodium-ion batteries utilize various electrode materials derived from lithium batteries. However, the different characteristics inherent in sodium may cause unexpected cell reactions and battery performance. Thus, identifying the reactive discrepancy between sodiation and lithiation is essential for fundamental understanding and practical engineering of battery materials. Here we reveal a heterogeneous sodiation mechanism of iron fluoride (FeF2) nanoparticle electrodes by combining in situ/ex situ microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. In contrast to direct one-step conversion reaction with lithium, the sodiation of FeF2 proceeds via a regular conversion on the surface and a disproportionation reaction in the core, generating a composite structure of 1-4 nm ultrafine Fe nanocrystallites (further fused into conductive frameworks) mixed with an unexpected Na3FeF6 phase and a NaF phase in the shell. These findings demonstrate a core-shell reaction mode of the sodiation process and shed light on the mechanistic understanding extended to generic electrode materials for both Li- and Na-ion batteries.

High rate delithiation behaviour of LiFePO4 studied by quick X-ray absorption spectroscopy

A novel in situ time-resolved synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was introduced for the dynamic studies during fast chemical and electrochemical delithiation of LiFePO(4). The lithium diffusion in LiFePO(4) and the reaction mechanisms for both processes were investigated. This approach opens new opportunities for dynamic studies of various energy storage systems.

Phase transition behavior of NaCrO2 during sodium extraction studied by synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and absorption spectroscopy

The structural evolution of layered NaCrO2 cathodes for sodium-ion batteries during charge was investigated using synchrotron-based in situ X-ray diffraction and ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Three solid solution phases with expanding ‘c’ and contracting ‘a’/‘b’ lattice parameters were observed. The coordination changes of Cr and Na during sodium extraction were also studied.

O3-type layered transition metal oxide Na(NiCoFeTi)1/4O2 as a high rate and long cycle life cathode material for sodium ion batteries

High rate capability and long cycle life are challenging goals for the development of room temperature sodium-ion batteries. Here we report a new single phase quaternary O3-type layer-structured transition metal oxide Na(NiCoFeTi)1/4O2 synthesized by a simple solid-state reaction as a new cathode material for sodium-ion batteries. It can deliver a reversible capacity of 90.6 mA h g−1 at a rate as high as 20C. At 5C, 75.0% of the initial specific capacity can be retained after 400 cycles with a capacity-decay rate of 0.07% per cycle, demonstrating a superior long-term cyclability at high current density. X-ray diffraction and absorption characterization revealed reversible phase transformations and electronic structural changes during the Na+ deintercalation/intercalation process. Ni, Co and Fe ions contribute to charge compensation during charge and discharge. Although Ti ions do not contribute to the charge transfer, they play a very important role in stabilizing the structure during charge and discharge by suppressing the Fe migration. In addition, Ti substitution can also smooth the charge–discharge plateaus effectively, which provides a potential advantage for the commercialization of this material for room temperature sodium-ion batteries.

LiF ∕ Co Nanocomposite as a New Li Storage Material

A nanocomposite consisting of both LiF and transition metal Co as general inactive electrochemical materials fabricated by pulsed laser deposition exhibits significant electrochemical activity. The charge and discharge measurement indicate that the first charge capacity of 205 mAh/g for the LiF-Co/Li cell is found to release Li. The process of releasing Li from the as-deposited LiF-Co nanocomposite thin films is confirmed by ex situ high resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction measurements. These results provide direct experimental evidence to support the decomposition of LiF driven by the transition metal Co. LiF-Co nanocomposite electrodes may be found to be a new good candidate for Li storage material.

Discrete Li-occupation versus pseudo-continuous Na-occupation and their relationship with structural change behaviors in Fe2(MoO4)3

The key factors governing the single-phase or multi-phase structural change behaviors during the intercalation/deintercalation of guest ions have not been well studied and understood yet. Through systematic studies of orthorhombic Fe2(MoO4)3 electrode, two distinct guest ion occupation paths, namely discrete one for Li and pseudo-continuous one for Na, as well as their relationship with single-phase and two-phase modes for Na+ and Li+, respectively during the intercalation/deintercalation process have been demonstrated. For the first time, the direct atomic-scale observation of biphasic domains (discrete occupation) in partially lithiated Fe2(MoO4)3 and the one by one Na occupation (pseudo-continuous occupation) at 8d sites in partially sodiated Fe2(MoO4)3 are obtained during the discharge processes of Li/Fe2(MoO4)3 and Na/Fe2(MoO4)3 cells respectively. Our combined experimental and theoretical studies bring the new insights for the research and development of intercalation compounds as electrode materials for secondary batteries.

A comparison study of detecting gold nanorods in living cells with confocal reflectance microscopy and two-photon fluorescence microscopy

Two‐photon fluorescence microscopy and confocal reflectance microscopy were compared to detect intracellular gold nanorods in rat basophilic leukaemia cells. The two‐photon photoluminescence images of gold nanorods were acquired by an 800 nm fs laser with the power of milliwatts. The advantages of the obtained two‐photon photoluminescence images are high spatial resolution and reduced background. However, a remarkable photothermal effect on cells was seen after 30 times continuous scanning of the femto‐second laser, potentially affecting the subcellular localization pattern of the nanorods. In the case of confocal reflectance microscopy the images of gold nanorods can be obtained with the power of light source as low as microwatts, thus avoiding the photothermal effect, but the resolution of such images is reduced. We have noted that confocal reflectance images of cellular gold nanorods achieved with 50 μW 800 nm fs have a relatively poor resolution, whereas the 50 μW 488 nm CW laser can acquire reasonably satisfactory 3D reflectance images with improved resolution because of its shorter wavelength. Therefore, confocal reflectance microscopy may also be a suitable means to image intracellular gold nanorods with the advantage of reduced photothermal effect.

Electrochemistry of ZnO1 − xSx Thin Film with Lithium

ZnO 1―x S x thin film has been successfully fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. The electrochemical properties are investigated by charge/discharge measurement and cyclic voltammograms. X-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction measurements are employed to explore their electrochemical reaction mechanism with lithium. Among all the ZnO 1―x S x compounds, ZnO 0.28 S 0.72 shows the best electrochemical performance with a large reversible specific capacity around 650 mAh/g and an excellent capacity retention. The electrochemical reaction mechanisms of the film in the charging and discharging processes involve the reversible decomposition/formation of ZnO 1―x S x and alloying/dealloying of ZnLi.

Utilizing Co2+/Co3+ Redox Couple in P2-Layered Na0.66Co0.22Mn0.44Ti0.34O2 Cathode for Sodium-Ion Batteries

Abstract Developing sodium‐ion batteries for large‐scale energy storage applications is facing big challenges of the lack of high‐performance cathode materials. Here, a series of new cathode materials Na0.66CoxMn0.66– xTi0.34O2 for sodium‐ion batteries are designed and synthesized aiming to reduce transition metal‐ion ordering, charge ordering, as well as Na+ and vacancy ordering. An interesting structure change of Na0.66CoxMn0.66– xTi0.34O2 from orthorhombic to hexagonal is revealed when Co content increases from x = 0 to 0.33. In particular, Na0.66Co0.22Mn0.44Ti0.34O2 with a P2‐type layered structure delivers a reversible capacity of 120 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C. When the current density increases to 10 C, a reversible capacity of 63.2 mAh g−1 can still be obtained, indicating a promising rate capability. The low valence Co2+ substitution results in the formation of average Mn3.7+ valence state in Na0.66Co0.22Mn0.44Ti0.34O2, effectively suppressing the Mn3+‐induced Jahn–Teller distortion, and in turn stabilizing the layered structure. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy results suggest that the charge compensation of Na0.66Co0.22Mn0.44Ti0.34O2 during charge/discharge is contributed by Co2.2+/Co3+ and Mn3.3+/Mn4+ redox couples. This is the first time that the highly reversible Co2+/Co3+ redox couple is observed in P2‐layered cathodes for sodium‐ion batteries. This finding may open new approaches to design advanced intercalation‐type cathode materials.