Phonons from density-functional perturbation theory using the all-electron full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method FLEUR *

Phonons are quantized vibrations of a crystal lattice that play a crucial role in understanding many properties of solids. Density functional theory provides a state-of-the-art computational approach to lattice vibrations from first-principles. We present a successful software implementation for calculating phonons in the harmonic approximation, employing density-functional perturbation theory within the framework of the full-potential linearized augmented plane-wave method as implemented in the electronic structure package FLEUR. The implementation, which involves the Sternheimer equation for the linear response of the wave function, charge density, and potential with respect to infinitesimal atomic displacements, as well as the setup of the dynamical matrix, is presented and the specifics due to the muffin-tin sphere centered linearized augmented plane-wavebasis-set and the all-electron nature are discussed. As a test, we calculate the phonon dispersion of several solids including an insulator, a semiconductor as well as several metals. The latter arecomprised of magnetic, simple, and transition metals. The results are validated on the basis of phonon dispersions calculated using the finite displacement approach in conjunction with theFLEUR code and the phonopy package, as well as by some experimental results. An excellent agreement is obtained

Bulk and grain boundary conductivity in doped BaZrO3: Bulk contribution dominates at operating temperatures

This study evaluates the role of microstructure for the conductivity of BaZrO3-based protonic conductors. Bulk conductivity was found to be the limiting conductivity contribution in BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-δ (BZY20) and BaZr0.7Ce0.2Y0.1O3-δ (BZCY72) at operating temperatures. The effective grain boundary conductivity only dominates the total conductivity below a crossover point (200 °C for BZY20, 150 °C for BZCY72). The crossover point was determined by using a well-calibrated electrochemical impedance spectroscopy setup to measure from 600 °C to 50 °C with up to 10 MHz. As such, bulk and grain boundary could be fitted separately up to 350 °C instead of 200 °C, as often seen in literature. According to these results, the impact of grain boundaries on the total conductivity of BZY20 and BZCY72 at operating temperature might be less than assumed. Therefore, research should not only focus on increasing the conductivity of the grain boundary, but also on maximizing the bulk conductivity

Understanding Lithium-Ion Transport in Selenophosphate-Based Lithium Argyrodites and Their Limitations in Solid-State Batteries

To develop solid-state batteries with high power and energy densities, solid electrolytes with fast Li+ transport are required. Superionic lithium argyrodites have proven to be a versatile system, in which superior ionic conductivities can be achieved by elemental substitutions. Herein, we report the novel selenophosphate-based lithium argyrodites Li6–xPSe5–xBr1+x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.2) exhibiting ionic conductivities up to 8.5 mS·cm–1 and uncover the origin of their fast Li+ transport. Rietveld refinement of neutron powder diffraction data reveals a better interconnection of the Li+ cages compared to the thiophosphate analogue Li6PS5Br, by the occupation of two additional Li+ sites, facilitating fast Li+ transport. Additionally, a larger unit cell volume, lattice softening, and higher structural disorder between halide and chalcogenide are unveiled. The application of Li5.85PSe4.85Br1.15 as the catholyte in In/LiIn|Li6PS5Br|LiNi0.83Co0.11Mn0.06O2:Li5.85PSe4.85Br1.15 solid-state batteries leads to severe degradation upon charging of the cell, revealing that selenophosphate-based lithium argyrodites are not suitable for applications in lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide-based solid-state batteries from a performance perspective. This work further expands on the understanding of the structure–transport relationship in Li+ conducting argyrodites and re-emphasizes the necessity to consider chemical and electrochemical stability of solid electrolytes against the active materials when developing fast Li+ conductors

Direct investigation of the interparticle-based state-of-charge distribution of polycrystalline NMC532 in lithium ion batteries by classification-single-particle-ICP-OES

The presented case study provides mesoscopic insights into the state-of-charge (SOC) distribution of battery electrodes containing layered transition metal oxides with Li(Ni0.5Mn0.3Co0.2)O2 (NMC532). The application of classification-single-particle inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (CL-SP-ICP-OES) enables the rapid screening of the lithium content of individual cathode active material (CAM) particles achieving a statistically viable elucidation of the mesoscale SOC distribution between different particles of the electrode. The results reveal the evolution of a persistent mesoscale SOC heterogeneity of the electrode upon delithiation at slow rates and extensive relaxation times as confirmed by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). The implications of local chemical and structural ramifications of the investigated NMC532 for heterogeneous active material utilization are thoroughly discussed. Furthermore, it is found that the evolved SOC heterogeneity of the electrode is strongly dependent on the current density. The correlation to the decreased capacity utilization is further investigated with a straightforward quantification approach revealing a considerable contribution to capacity fading by persistently inactive lithium in the CAM. The results highlight the importance of the analysis of persistent mesoscale SOC heterogeneity as a potential capacity fade mechanism in layered lithium transition metal oxide-based battery electrodes

The in situ generated emerging phase inside dual phase oxygen transport membranes

The in situ generated emerging phase inside the dual-phase oxygen transport membranes (DP-OTMs) plays a crucial role in boosting the overall performance of DP-OTMs. However, its detailed structure and properties are still not fully understood. Utilizing advanced transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques, the emerging phase GdxCe1-xFeyCo1-yO3-δ (GCFCO) inside the CexGd1-xO2-δ-FeCo2O4 (CGO-FC2O) OTMs was successfully characterized at the atomic scale. The newly formed GCFCO is primarily surrounded by the CGO, and contributes to a significant reduction of non-solute segregation at the CGO grain boundaries. Electronic characteristics of the GCFCO shows a sensitive dependence on its chemical composition, including the valence state of Ce and Fe as well as the oxygen vacancies. Additional CGO-GCFCO interfaces were introduced, where almost intact crystal structures were observed with slight Gd and Co segregation ∼1 nm at the edges. Approaching the interface, on the CGO side, only a minimum drop of the Ce valence was determined. On the GCFCO side, mixed Ce3+ and Ce4+ are partially occupying the Gd sites, while Fe and Co valence stay constant until the edge. Our study provides novel insight into the phase information within CGO-FC2O composites, which paves the path towards superior performance of various DP-OTM