16 research outputs found
Mesoscopic Phase Transition Kinetics in Secondary Particles of Electrode-Active Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Many compounds used
as battery storage electrodes undergo large
composition changes during use that are accompanied by a first-order
phase transition. Most studies of these phase transitions have focused
on the unit cell to single-crystallite scale, whereas real battery
electrodes are typically composed of mesoscopic assemblies of nanocrystallites,
for which phase transformation mechanisms are poorly understood. In
this work, a systematic study is conducted of the potentiostatic (constant
driving force) kinetics of phase transition in secondary particles
of representative intercalation compounds: LiFePO<sub>4</sub>, LiMn<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>Fe<sub><i>x</i></sub>PO<sub>4</sub>, and Li<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>5</sub>O<sub>7</sub>. Storage kinetics
are studied as a function of overpotential, material composition,
primary particle size, and temperature. We find that in regimes where
phase transformation occurs, the results can be self-consistently
explained as nucleation and growth kinetics within the framework of
the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model. This
implies that despite the common secondary particle topology, the electrochemically
driven phase transformations occur by nucleation and growth with little
apparent resistance to phase propagation across the grain boundaries.
Growth appears to be one-dimensional in nature, consistent with a
hybrid growth model in which rapid surface propagation is followed
by slower growth into particles
Mesoscopic Phase Transition Kinetics in Secondary Particles of Electrode-Active Materials in Lithium-Ion Batteries
Many compounds used
as battery storage electrodes undergo large
composition changes during use that are accompanied by a first-order
phase transition. Most studies of these phase transitions have focused
on the unit cell to single-crystallite scale, whereas real battery
electrodes are typically composed of mesoscopic assemblies of nanocrystallites,
for which phase transformation mechanisms are poorly understood. In
this work, a systematic study is conducted of the potentiostatic (constant
driving force) kinetics of phase transition in secondary particles
of representative intercalation compounds: LiFePO<sub>4</sub>, LiMn<sub>1–<i>x</i></sub>Fe<sub><i>x</i></sub>PO<sub>4</sub>, and Li<sub>4</sub>Ti<sub>5</sub>O<sub>7</sub>. Storage kinetics
are studied as a function of overpotential, material composition,
primary particle size, and temperature. We find that in regimes where
phase transformation occurs, the results can be self-consistently
explained as nucleation and growth kinetics within the framework of
the Johnson–Mehl–Avrami–Kolmogorov model. This
implies that despite the common secondary particle topology, the electrochemically
driven phase transformations occur by nucleation and growth with little
apparent resistance to phase propagation across the grain boundaries.
Growth appears to be one-dimensional in nature, consistent with a
hybrid growth model in which rapid surface propagation is followed
by slower growth into particles
Identification of Li-Ion Battery SEI Compounds through <sup>7</sup>Li and <sup>13</sup>C Solid-State MAS NMR Spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
Solid-state <sup>7</sup>Li and <sup>13</sup>C MAS NMR spectra of
cycled graphitic Li-ion anodes demonstrate SEI compound formation
upon lithiation that is followed by changes in the SEI upon delithiation.
Solid-state <sup>13</sup>C DPMAS NMR shows changes in peaks associated
with organic solvent compounds (ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate,
EC/DMC) upon electrochemical cycling due to the formation of and subsequent
changes in the SEI compounds. Solid-state <sup>13</sup>C NMR spin–lattice
(T<sub>1</sub>) relaxation time measurements of lithiated Li-ion anodes
and reference polyÂ(ethylene oxide) (PEO) powders, along with MALDI-TOF
mass spectrometry results, indicate that large-molecular-weight polymers
are formed in the SEI layers of the discharged anodes. MALDI-TOF MS
and NMR spectroscopy results additionally indicate that delithiated
anodes exhibit a larger number of SEI products than is found in lithiated
anodes
In Situ Observation of Random Solid Solution Zone in LiFePO<sub>4</sub> Electrode
Nanostructured LiFePO<sub>4</sub> (LFP) electrodes have attracted
great interest in the Li-ion battery field. Recently there have been
debates on the presence and role of metastable phases during lithiation/delithiation,
originating from the apparent high rate capability of LFP batteries
despite poor electronic/ionic conductivities of bulk LFP and FePO<sub>4</sub> (FP) phases. Here we report a potentiostatic in situ transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) study of LFP electrode kinetics during delithiation.
Using in situ high-resolution TEM, a Li-sublattice disordered solid
solution zone (SSZ) is observed to form quickly and reach 10–25
nm × 20–40 nm in size, different from the sharp LFP|FP
interface observed under other conditions. This 20 nm scale SSZ is
quite stable and persists for hundreds of seconds at room temperature
during our experiments. In contrast to the nanoscopically sharp LFP|FP
interface, the wider SSZ seen here contains no dislocations, so reduced
fatigue and enhanced cycle life can be expected along with enhanced
rate capability. Our findings suggest that the disordered SSZ could
dominate phase transformation behavior at nonequilibrium condition
when high current/voltage is applied; for larger particles, the SSZ
could still be important as it provides out-of-equilibrium but atomically
wide avenues for Li<sup>+</sup>/e<sup>–</sup> transport
Improving the Capacity of Sodium Ion Battery Using a Virus-Templated Nanostructured Composite Cathode
In this work we investigated an energy-efficient
biotemplated route to synthesize nanostructured FePO<sub>4</sub> for
sodium-based batteries. Self-assembled M13 viruses and single wall
carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been used as a template to grow amorphous
FePO<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles at room temperature (the active composite
is denoted as Bio-FePO<sub>4</sub>-CNT) to enhance the electronic
conductivity of the active material. Preliminary tests demonstrate
a discharge capacity as high as 166 mAh/g at C/10 rate, corresponding
to composition Na<sub>0.9</sub>FePO<sub>4</sub>, which along with
higher C-rate tests show this material to have the highest capacity
and power performance reported for amorphous FePO<sub>4</sub> electrodes
to date
Enhancing the Performance of Viscous Electrode-Based Flow Batteries Using Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces
Redox
flow batteries are a promising technology that can potentially
meet the large-scale grid storage needs of renewable power sources.
Today, most redox flow batteries are based on aqueous solutions with
low cell voltages and low energy densities that lead to significant
costs from hardware and balance-of-plant. Nonaqueous electrochemical
couples offer higher cell voltages and higher energy densities and
can reduce system-level costs but tend toward higher viscosities and
can exhibit non-Newtonian rheology that increases the power required
to drive flow. This work uses lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS)
to promote flow in electrochemical systems and outlines their design
based on interfacial thermodynamics and electrochemical stability.
We demonstrate up to 86% mechanical power savings at low flow rates
for LIS compared to conventional surfaces for a lithium polysulfide
flow electrode in a half-cell flow battery configuration. The measured
specific charge capacity of ∼800 mAh/(g·S) is a 4-fold
increase over previous work
Enhancing the Performance of Viscous Electrode-Based Flow Batteries Using Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces
Redox
flow batteries are a promising technology that can potentially
meet the large-scale grid storage needs of renewable power sources.
Today, most redox flow batteries are based on aqueous solutions with
low cell voltages and low energy densities that lead to significant
costs from hardware and balance-of-plant. Nonaqueous electrochemical
couples offer higher cell voltages and higher energy densities and
can reduce system-level costs but tend toward higher viscosities and
can exhibit non-Newtonian rheology that increases the power required
to drive flow. This work uses lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS)
to promote flow in electrochemical systems and outlines their design
based on interfacial thermodynamics and electrochemical stability.
We demonstrate up to 86% mechanical power savings at low flow rates
for LIS compared to conventional surfaces for a lithium polysulfide
flow electrode in a half-cell flow battery configuration. The measured
specific charge capacity of ∼800 mAh/(g·S) is a 4-fold
increase over previous work
Enhancing the Performance of Viscous Electrode-Based Flow Batteries Using Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces
Redox
flow batteries are a promising technology that can potentially
meet the large-scale grid storage needs of renewable power sources.
Today, most redox flow batteries are based on aqueous solutions with
low cell voltages and low energy densities that lead to significant
costs from hardware and balance-of-plant. Nonaqueous electrochemical
couples offer higher cell voltages and higher energy densities and
can reduce system-level costs but tend toward higher viscosities and
can exhibit non-Newtonian rheology that increases the power required
to drive flow. This work uses lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS)
to promote flow in electrochemical systems and outlines their design
based on interfacial thermodynamics and electrochemical stability.
We demonstrate up to 86% mechanical power savings at low flow rates
for LIS compared to conventional surfaces for a lithium polysulfide
flow electrode in a half-cell flow battery configuration. The measured
specific charge capacity of ∼800 mAh/(g·S) is a 4-fold
increase over previous work
Enhancing the Performance of Viscous Electrode-Based Flow Batteries Using Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces
Redox
flow batteries are a promising technology that can potentially
meet the large-scale grid storage needs of renewable power sources.
Today, most redox flow batteries are based on aqueous solutions with
low cell voltages and low energy densities that lead to significant
costs from hardware and balance-of-plant. Nonaqueous electrochemical
couples offer higher cell voltages and higher energy densities and
can reduce system-level costs but tend toward higher viscosities and
can exhibit non-Newtonian rheology that increases the power required
to drive flow. This work uses lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS)
to promote flow in electrochemical systems and outlines their design
based on interfacial thermodynamics and electrochemical stability.
We demonstrate up to 86% mechanical power savings at low flow rates
for LIS compared to conventional surfaces for a lithium polysulfide
flow electrode in a half-cell flow battery configuration. The measured
specific charge capacity of ∼800 mAh/(g·S) is a 4-fold
increase over previous work
Enhancing the Performance of Viscous Electrode-Based Flow Batteries Using Lubricant-Impregnated Surfaces
Redox
flow batteries are a promising technology that can potentially
meet the large-scale grid storage needs of renewable power sources.
Today, most redox flow batteries are based on aqueous solutions with
low cell voltages and low energy densities that lead to significant
costs from hardware and balance-of-plant. Nonaqueous electrochemical
couples offer higher cell voltages and higher energy densities and
can reduce system-level costs but tend toward higher viscosities and
can exhibit non-Newtonian rheology that increases the power required
to drive flow. This work uses lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS)
to promote flow in electrochemical systems and outlines their design
based on interfacial thermodynamics and electrochemical stability.
We demonstrate up to 86% mechanical power savings at low flow rates
for LIS compared to conventional surfaces for a lithium polysulfide
flow electrode in a half-cell flow battery configuration. The measured
specific charge capacity of ∼800 mAh/(g·S) is a 4-fold
increase over previous work