5 research outputs found
Nanoscale Investigation of Solid Electrolyte Interphase Inhibition on Li-Ion Battery MnO Electrodes via Atomic Layer Deposition of Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>
Application
of a functional surface coating on Li-ion battery electrodes
can potentially result in a significant enhancement of the lifespan
of the battery cell. In particular, atomic layer deposition (ALD),
which can create highly conformal ultrathin oxide films on many different
electrodes has been shown to increase the cyclability in these systems.
In this study, we explore the impact of such films on the formation
of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which may explain why these
films show improvements in the cycling performance. Specifically,
we characterize, using in situ scanning ion conductance microscopy
and other ex situ surface characterization techniques, the SEI formed
on ALD Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> coated and uncoated MnO electrodes.
We ascertain that ∼9 Å is the minimum thickness of ALD
Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> that will inhibit thick SEI formation.
Furthermore, we show that the ALD surface coating is robust and prevents
SEI formation for at least 100 cycles. Lastly, we investigated the
differences between our in situ and ex situ measurements to help determine
what artifacts can result that are due to post-processing for ex situ
studies
Defect Evolution in Graphene upon Electrochemical Lithiation
Despite rapidly growing interest
in the application of graphene in lithium ion batteries, the interaction
of the graphene with lithium ions and electrolyte species during electrochemical
cycling is not fully understood. In this work, we use Raman spectroscopy
in a model system of monolayer graphene transferred on a Si(111) substrate
and density functional theory (DFT) to investigate defect formation
as a function of lithiation. This model system enables the early stages
of defect formation to be probed in a manner previously not possible
with commonly used reduced graphene oxide or multilayer graphene substrates.
Using ex situ and Ar-atmosphere Raman spectroscopy, we detected a
rapid increase in graphene defect level for small increments in the
number of lithiation/delithiation cycles until the IÂ(D)<i>/</i>IÂ(G) ratio reaches ∼1.5–2.0 and the 2D peak intensity
drops by ∼50%, after which the Raman spectra show minimal changes
upon further cycling. Using DFT, the interplay between graphene topological
defects and chemical functionalization is explored, thus providing
insight into the experimental results. In particular, the DFT results
show that defects can act as active sites for species that are present
in the electrochemical environment such as Li, O, and F. Furthermore,
chemical functionalization with these species lowers subsequent defect
formation energies, thus accelerating graphene degradation upon cycling.
This positive feedback loop continues until the defect concentration
reaches a level where lithium diffusion through the graphene can occur
in a relatively unimpeded manner, with minimal further degradation
upon extended cycling. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insight
into graphene defect formation during lithiation, thus informing ongoing
efforts to employ graphene in lithium ion battery technology
Tunable Radiation Response in Hybrid Organic–Inorganic Gate Dielectrics for Low-Voltage Graphene Electronics
Solution-processed semiconductor
and dielectric materials are attractive for future lightweight, low-voltage,
flexible electronics, but their response to ionizing radiation environments
is not well understood. Here, we investigate the radiation response
of graphene field-effect transistors employing multilayer, solution-processed
zirconia self-assembled nanodielectrics (Zr-SANDs) with ZrO<sub><i>x</i></sub> as a control. Total ionizing dose (TID) testing
is carried out in situ using a vacuum ultraviolet source to a total
radiant exposure (RE) of 23.1 μJ/cm<sup>2</sup>. The data reveal
competing charge density accumulation within and between the individual
dielectric layers. Additional measurements of a modified Zr-SAND show
that varying individual layer thicknesses within the gate dielectric
tuned the TID response. This study thus establishes that the radiation
response of graphene electronics can be tailored to achieve a desired
radiation sensitivity by incorporating hybrid organic–inorganic
gate dielectrics