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At least 541 records · Page 30

Accurate Prediction of Voltage of Battery Electrode Materials Using Attention-Based Graph Neural Networks

Performing first-principles calculations to discover electrodes’ properties in the large chemical space is a challenging task. While machine learning (ML) has been applied to effectively accelerate those discoveries, most of the applied methods ignore the materials’ spatial information and only use predefined features: based only on chemical compositions. Here, we propose two attention-based graph convolutional neural network techniques to learn the average voltage of electrodes. Our proposed methods, which combine both atomic composition and atomic coordinates in 3D-space, improve the accuracy in voltage prediction significantly when compared to composition-based ML models. The first model directly learns the chemical reaction of electrodes and metal ions to predict their average voltage, whereas the second model combines electrodes’ ML predicted formation energy (E form ) to compute their average voltage. Our E form -based model demonstrates improved accuracy in transferability from our subset of learned Li ions to Na ions. Moreover, we predicted the theoretical voltage of 10 Na x MPO 4 F (M = Ti, Cr, Fe, Cu, Mn, Co, and Ni) fluorophosphate battery frameworks, which are unavailable in the Material Project database. It could be shown that we can expect average voltages higher than 3.1 V from those Na battery frameworks except from the NaTiPO 4 F and TiPO 4 F pair of electrodes, which offer an average voltage of 1.32 V.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Utilizing metal cation reactions with carbonyl sulfide to remove isobaric interferences in tandem inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analyses

Carbonyl sulfide (OCS) was used as a reaction gas to investigate gas phase metal (M + ) ion-molecule reactions using the Agilent 8900 inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometer (ICP-MS/MS) to yield insight on how this gas may be used to remove isobaric interferences in analytical measurements. The experimental work was paired with density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the reaction enthalpy to predict whether M + will react with OCS. A multi-element standard containing 46 elements ranging from 9 to 208 u was analyzed in the presence and absence of OCS. When a reaction was observed, the dominant product was the sulfide (MS + ). Oxide products were also observed for many M + but formation was less efficient with OCS than previously observed with other reaction gases. This is likely due to the weaker OC-S bond that makes MS + formation more favorable. Increasing the flow rate from 0.1 to 0.2 mL/min (corresponding to a change in reaction gas pressure from 0.35 to 0.53 Pa (2.6 to 4.0 mTorr)) generally resulted in greater MS + production, including the secondary product MS 2 + for a few cations. The early lanthanide series ions (La + , Ce + , Pr + and Nd + ) produced greater quantities of MO + at the higher pressure, although MS + products were still the dominant product. The DFT-predicted reaction enthalpies were consistent with the observed sulfide formation, with an accuracy >90%; however, model predictions were less accurate for the minor and higher order products (< 77% for MO + ). Finally, the work presented here continues a systematic study of ion-molecule reactions in ICP-MS/MS to understand and develop new and novel ways to analyze complex mixtures with minimal pre-analysis treatment.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

A Cobalt– and Manganese–Free High–Nickel Layered Oxide Cathode for Long–Life, Safer Lithium–Ion Batteries

High-nickel LiNi 1–x–y Mn x Co y O 2 and LiNi 1–x–y Co x Al y O 2 cathodes are receiving growing attention due to the burgeoning demands on high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries. The presence of both cobalt and manganese in them, however, triggers multiple issues, including high cost, high toxicity, rapid surface deterioration, and severe transition-metal dissolution. Herein, a Co- and Mn-free ultrahigh-nickel LiNi 0.93 Al 0.05 Ti 0.01 Mg 0.01 O 2 (NATM) cathode that exhibits 82% capacity retention over 800 deep cycles in full cells, outperforming two representative high-Ni cathodes LiNi 0.94 Co 0.06 O 2 (NC, 52%) and LiNi 0.90 Mn 0.05 Co 0.05 O 2 (NMC, 60%) is presented. It is demonstrated that a titanium-enriched surface along with aluminum and magnesium as the stabilizing ions in NATM not only ameliorates unwanted side reactions with the electrolyte and structural disintegrity, but also mitigates transition-metal dissolution and active lithium loss on the graphite anode. As a result, the graphite anode paired with NATM displays an ultrathin (≈8 nm), monolayer anode-electrolyte interphase architecture after extensive cycling. Furthermore, NATM displays considerably enhanced thermal stability with an elevated exothermic temperature (213 °C for NATM vs 180 and 190 °C for NC and NMC, respectively) and remarkably reduced heat release. This work sheds light on rational compositional design to adopt ultrahigh-Ni cathodes in lithium-based batteries with low cost, long service life, and improved thermal stability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Terminally fluorinated glycol ether electrolyte for lithium metal batteries

Despite being an excellent candidate for lithium metal batteries due to its stability towards lithium metal, ethereal solvent suffers from relatively low anodic stability, rendering it incompatible with high voltage cathode. Although the anodic stability of ethereal solvent can be enhanced by fluorination, the lithium solvating ability of fluorinated ethers is largely reduced. As a result, common hydrofluoroethers, such as 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl-2,2,3,3-tetrafluoropropylether (TTE) and bis(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) ether (BTFE) are not able to dissolve any lithium salt, albeit enhanced oxidation potential. Therefore, new fluorinated glycol ethers were synthesized in this research. The diglyme analog, which was terminally fluorinated, demonstrated high anodic stability and excellent capability to facilitate lithium plating/stripping. Unlike its non-fluorinated counterpart, the fluorinated diglyme analog displayed outstanding compatibility with lithium hexafluorophosphate, which is an essential salt in lithium-ion batteries. Here it was shown that the electrolyte based on fluorinated diglyme analog with fluoroethylene carbonate as co-solvent enabled highly stable cycling of Li-metal batteries pairing with layered oxide cathode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Phase-Slip Lines and Anomalous Josephson Effects in Tungsten Nanoscale Cluster-Based Topological Insulator Nanobridges: Implications for Topologically Protected Qubits and Quantum Sensors

Superconducting topological systems formed by a strong 3D topological insulator (TI) in proximity to a conventional s-wave superconductor (SC) have been intensely studied, as they may host Majorana zero modes. However, there are limited experimental realizations of TI-SC systems in which robust superconducting pairing is induced on the surface states of the TI and a topological superconducting state is established. Here, we fabricate a TI-SC system by depositing, via a focused ion beam, tungsten (W) nanoscale clusters on the surface of TI Bi 0.91 Sb 0.09 . We find that the resulting heterostructure supports phase-slip lines (PSLs) that act as effective Josephson junctions (JJs). Here, we probe the response of the system to microwave radiation. We find that for some ac frequencies, and powers, the resulting Shapiro steps’ structure of the voltage–current characteristic exhibits a missing first step and an unexpectedly wide second Shapiro step. The theoretical analysis of the measurements shows that the unusual Shapiro response arises from the interplay between a static JJ and a dynamic one and allows us to identify the conditions under which the missing first step can be attributed to the topological nature of the JJs formed by the PSLs. Our results suggest an approach to induce superconductivity in a TI, a route to realizing highly transparent topological JJs, and show how the response of superconducting systems to microwave radiation can be used to infer the dynamics of PSLs. Highly transparent topological junctions are promising candidates to realize vector field sensors with very high sensitivity. In addition, due to the nontrivial Berry phase of the TI’s surface states such junctions can be in a topological state which is ideal to create topologically protected qubits.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Nematic fluctuations in iron-oxychalcogenide Mott insulators

Nematic fluctuations occur in a wide range physical systems from biological molecules to cuprates and iron pnictide high- T c superconductors. It is unclear whether nematicity in pnictides arises from electronic spin or orbital degrees of freedom. We studied the iron-based Mott insulators La 2 O 2 Fe 2 OM 2 M = (S, Se), which are structurally similar to pnictides. Nuclear magnetic resonance revealed a critical slowing down of nematic fluctuations and complementary Mössbauerr spectroscopy data showed a change of electrical field gradient. The neutron pair distribution function technique detected local C 2 fluctuations while neutron diffraction indicates that global C 4 symmetry is preserved. A geometrically frustrated Heisenberg model with biquadratic and single-ion anisotropic terms provides the interpretation of the low temperature magnetic fluctuations. The nematicity is not due to spontaneous orbital order, instead it is linked to geometrically frustrated magnetism based on orbital selectivity. This study highlights the interplay between orbital order and spin fluctuations in nematicity.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Exploring J/ψ Production Mechanism at the Future Electron-Ion Collider

We propose to use transverse momentum p T distribution of J/ψ production at the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC) to explore the production mechanism of heavy quarkonia in high energy collisions. We apply QCD and QED collinear factorization to the production of a $c\bar{c}$ pair at high p T , and non-relativistic QCD factorization to the hadronization of the pair to a J/ψ. We evaluate J/ψ p T -distribution at both leading and next-to-leading order in strong coupling, and show that production rates for various color-spin channels of a $c\bar{c}$ pair in electron-hadron collisions are very different from that in hadron-hadron collisions, which provides a strong discriminative power to determine various transition rates for the pair to become a J/ψ. We predict that the J/ψ produced in electron-hadron collisions is likely unpolarized, and the production is an ideal probe for gluon distribution of colliding hadron (or nucleus). We find that the J/ψ production is dominated by the color-octet channel, providing an excellent probe to explore the gluon medium in large nuclei at the EIC.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗

Back-to-back relative-excess observable to identify the chiral magnetic effect

Background: The chiral magnetic effect (CME) is extensively studied in heavy-ion collisions at RHIC and LHC. In the commonly used reaction-plane (RP)-dependent, charge-dependent azimuthal correlator ($Δ_γ$), both the close and back-to-back pairs are included. Many backgrounds contribute to the close pairs (e.g., resonance decays, jet correlations), whereas the back-to-back pairs are relatively free of those backgrounds. Purpose: In order to reduce those backgrounds, we propose a new observable, which only focuses on the back-to-back pairs, namely, the relative back-to-back opposite-sign over same-sign pair excess ($r_{BB}$) as a function of the pair azimuthal orientation with respect to the RP ($φ_{BB}$). Methods: We use analytical calculations and toy model simulations to demonstrate the sensitivity of $r_{BB}(φ_{BB})$ to the CME and its insensitivity to backgrounds. Results: With finite CME, the $φ_{BB}$ distribution of $r_{BB}$ shows a clear characteristic modulation. Its sensitivity to background is significantly reduced compared to the previous $Δ_γ$ observable. The simulation results are consistent with our analytical calculations. Conclusions: In this work, our studies demonstrate that the $r_{BB}(φ_{BB})$ observable is sensitive to the CME signal and rather insensitive to the resonance backgrounds.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Collision-energy dependence of the Breit-Wheeler process in heavy-ion collisions and its application to nuclear charge radius measurements

The collision energy dependence of the cross section and the transverse momentum distribution of dielectrons from the Breit-Wheeler process in heavy-ion collisions are computed in the lowest-order QED and found to be sensitive to the nuclear charge distribution and the infrared divergence of the ultra-Lorentz-boosted Coulomb field. Within a given experimental kinematic acceptance, the cross section is found to increase while the pair transverse momentum ($\sqrt{\langle{p^2_T}\rangle}$) decreases with increasing beam energy. We demonstrate that the transverse-momentum component of Weizsäcker-Williams photons is due to the finite extent of the charge source and electric field component in the longitudinal direction. We further clarify the connection between the nuclear charge distribution and the kinematics of produced e + e - from the Breit-Wheeler process, and propose a criterion for the validity of the Breit-Wheeler process in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. Following this approach we demonstrate that the experimental measurements of the Breit-Wheeler process in ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions can be used to quantitatively constrain the nuclear charge radius. The extracted parameters show sensitivity to the impact parameter dependence, and can be used to study the initial-state and final-state effects in hadronic interactions.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Prelithiated SiO x /Graphite-NMC811 Cells: Capacity Loss, Impedance Rise and Hidden Degradation Pathways Revealed Using Three-Electrode Diagnostics

Electrodes containing SiO x /graphite (Gr) materials are attractive as anodes for high-energy lithium-ion batteries. However, their mechanical deformation, electrochemical response, and impedance evolution during long-term cycling are strongly coupled, complicating accurate diagnosis of performance fade mechanisms. In this work, the behavior of electrochemically prelithiated SiO x /Gr anodes paired with NMC811 cathodes is systematically investigated using techniques that include in-situ dilatometry, three-electrode electrochemistry, and multiscale post-cycling microscopy. The SiO x /Gr electrode exhibits a maximum expansion of 49% upon lithiation to 10 mV vs Li + /Li, with 84% of the expansion and 91% of the capacity being reversible. In full cells, relatively stable cycling with only 12% capacity fade over 500 cycles is observed. Three-electrode experiments reveal cell-level impedance growth, which is dominated by the NMC811 cathode: the SiO x /Gr anode exhibits minimal net impedance rise and an initial impedance decrease at low potentials. Despite this apparent electrochemical stability, cross-sectional SEM, PFIB tomography, and cryo-STEM reveal irreversible anode thickening caused by the accumulation of an inorganic-rich solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) permeating the anode bulk. Electrode potential-shift analysis further demonstrates that Li + ions released from lithium reservoirs in the prelithiated anode mask true lithium inventory loss during aging. These results demonstrate that low-expansion SiO x /Gr anodes can simultaneously exhibit favorable cycling and impedance metrics while undergoing substantial, hidden degradation, underscoring the importance of electrode-resolved diagnostics for evaluating prelithiated silicon-based anodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Polymer electrolytes based on protic ionic liquids with perfluorinated anions for safe lithium-ion batteries

Here, the quest for safe and high-performance polymer electrolytes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has led researchers to explore protic ionic liquids (PILs) as potential candidates to be entrapped in polymer matrices. In this context, we present an investigation into solid polymeric systems based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as a host for PILs, featuring 1,8-diazabicyclo-[5,4,0]-undec-7-ene (DBU) cation paired with three different anions: bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (TFSI – ), trifluoromethanesulfonate (TFO – ), and (trifluoromethanesulfonyl-nonafluorobutylsulfonyl)imide (IM14 – ). Additionally, we explore the lithium-doped IM14-gel-like system to broaden our understanding of these intriguing materials. Through comprehensive thermal analysis, solid-state NMR, and diffusion NMR techniques, we delve into the interactions and structural features of these binary and ternary polymeric systems. Our investigation reveals unique dynamics and ion interactions within the PMMA matrix, shedding light on the potential of these materials for advanced energy storage technologies. Particularly, we highlight the distinctive features of DBUH-IM14 and its specific interaction with the polymeric matrix and the lithium ions, underscoring its significance in advancing safer and more efficient energy storage devices.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Thermodynamic Modeling of Aqueous LiCl, LiBr, LiI, and LiNO 3 Solutions

Thermodynamic models are essential to facilitate the advancement of process design, optimization, and operation of electrolyte systems. In this work, a comprehensive thermodynamic framework based on the Electrolyte Nonrandom Two-Liquid model is developed to calculate phase equilibria behavior and salt solubility of aqueous LiCl, LiBr, LiI, and LiNO 3 solutions. The model describes the non-ideality of the electrolyte solutions by using two binary interaction parameters for each electrolyte-molecule pair in the system. Each binary interaction parameter is further expressed with up to three temperature coefficients which are regressed from experimental data. To take into account the hydration of lithium ion, two separate chemistries for the dissociation of lithium salts are investigated. In the first case, the lithium ion is considered as a bare ion, Li + , while in the second case hydration of the lithium ion from Li + to Li(H 2 O) + is considered. Here, the calculated thermodynamic properties compare adequately with the experimental data for both sets of chemistries for concentrations up to saturation and temperatures from 273.15 K up to 623.15 K. Moderate to significant improvements are observed with the incorporation of the hydration chemistry for aqueous LiCl, LiBr, and LiI solutions when compared to the non-hydrated lithium ion model results.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Deciphering Chemical/Electrochemical Compatibility of Li 3 InCl 6 in 5.2 V High-Voltage LiCoO 2 All-Solid-State Batteries

Large interfacial resistance is a widely recognized impediment to the advancement of high-voltage, all-solid-state batteries. However, a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental cause behind the interfacial resistance between solid electrolytes and typical layered oxide cathodes has not yet been achieved. Here, we investigated the high-voltage stability of Li 3 InCl 6 and elucidated the underlying interfacial electrochemical reactions between LiCoO 2 and Li 3 InCl 6 . Further, the pairing of Li 3 InCl 6 with LiCoO 2 exhibited a superior capacity retention of 73.6% even at 5.2 V, much higher than 28.2% charged at 4.6 V in lithium-ion batteries after 70 cycles. The enhanced high-voltage stability of ASSBs is attributed to the stable interface formed between LiCoO 2 and Li 3 InCl 6 and the reinforced surface and bulk structure stability. On the other hand, the ultrahigh voltage still causes the partial decomposition of Li 3 InCl 6 and generates interfacial compounds such as InClO and cobalt and indium chlorides/oxides.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

High-precision chemical quantum sensing in flowing monodisperse microdroplets

A method is presented for high-precision chemical detection that integrates quantum sensing with droplet microfluidics. Using nanodiamonds (ND) with fluorescent nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers as quantum sensors, rapidly flowing microdroplets containing analyte molecules are analyzed. A noise-suppressed mode of optically detected magnetic resonance is enabled by pairing controllable flow with microwave control of NV electronic spins, to detect analyte-induced signals of a few hundredths of a percent of the ND fluorescence. Using this method, paramagnetic ions in droplets are detected with low limit-of-detection using small analyte volumes, with exceptional measurement stability over >10 3 s. In addition, these droplets are used as microconfinement chambers by co-encapsulating ND quantum sensors with various analytes such as single cells, suggesting wide-ranging applications including single-cell metabolomics and real-time intracellular measurements from bioreactors. Important advances are enabled by this work, including portable chemical testing devices, amplification-free chemical assays, and chemical imaging tools for probing reactions within microenvironments.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Cycling Performance and Structure Evolution of Co-Free Lithium- and Manganese-Rich Layered Oxides in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Lithium- and manganese-rich (LMR) layered oxides are high-capacity cathode materials that are being considered for electric vehicle (EV) lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Here, we investigate the electrochemical cycling behavior of cells containing a cobalt-free LMR oxide, 0.3Li 2 MnO 3 ·0.7LiMn 0.5 Ni 0.5 O 2 , paired with either Li or graphite anodes. Two- and three-electrode cells are cycled under varying conditions to examine the effects of oxide activation, upper cutoff voltage, separator type, and electrolyte composition. Post-cycling characterization of harvested electrodes, with electrochemical, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and solid-state 6 Li nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy techniques, are used to correlate cell performance changes with redox state evolution in the oxide and Li inventory shifts in the cell. Our results show that capacity fade and impedance rise primarily originate at the graphite anode and LMR cathode, respectively. Notably, while Ni undergoes reversible redox, Mn shows no evidence of bulk redox activity even in highly-aged electrodes: only relithiated LMR electrodes show some reduction of Mn. Graphite electrodes degrade due to particle isolation and SEI growth, exacerbated by Mn dissolution and deposition on graphite anodes. These findings highlight the coupled structural and electrochemical degradation mechanisms in LMR/graphite cells and underscore lithium inventory retention and electrode interfacial stability as critical factors for enhancing long-term performance.

Badami, Pavan P. [Argonne National Laboratory (ANL↗

Dilepton Program with Time-of-Flight Detector at the STAR Experiment

Pairs of lepton and antilepton (dilepton) in a continuous mass range are one of the most experimentally challenging and golden probes of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) produced in heavy ion collisions because they do not strongly interact with the hot and dense medium, and reflect the properties of the medium at the time the dilepton is generated. The measurements of dileptons require lepton identification with high purity and high efficiency at large detector acceptance. STAR is one of two large experiments at the relativistic heavy ion collider with a primary goal of searching for the QGP and studying its properties. The STAR experiment launched a comprehensive dielectron (e + e - ) program enabled by the time-of-flight (TOF) detector that had been fully installed in 2010. In this article, we review the decade-long R&D, the construction and performance of the STAR TOF detector, and dielectron measurements, including thermal dielectron production and dielectron production from the Breit–Wheeler process. Future perspectives are also discussed.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Thermodynamically Driven Synthetic Optimization for Cation-Disordered Rock Salt Cathodes

Relating the synthesis conditions of materials to their functional performance has long been an experience-based trial-and-error process. However, this methodology is not always efficient in identifying an appropriate protocol and can lead to overlooked opportunities for the performance optimization of materials through simple modifications of the synthesis process. In this work, we systematically track the structural evolution in the synthesis of a representative disordered rocksalt (a promising next-generation Li-ion cathode material) at the scale of both the long-range crystal structure and the short-range atomic structure using various in situ and ex situ techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and pair distribution function analysis. Further, an optimization strategy is proposed for the synthesis protocol, leading to a remarkably enhanced capacity (specific energy) of 313 mAh g –1 (987 Wh kg –1 ) at a low rate (20 mA g –1 ), with a capacity of more than 140 mAh g –1 retained even at a very high cycling rate of 2,000 mA g –1 . This strategy is further rationalized using ab initio calculations, and important opportunities for synthetic optimization demonstrated in this study are highlighted.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Equatorial Electronic Structure in the Uranyl Ion: Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4 and Cs 2 UO 2 Br 4

Electric field gradient (EFG) tensors in the equatorial plane of the linear UO 2 2+ ion have been measured by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nuclear quadrupole resonance (NQR) experiments and computed by relativistic Kohn–Sham methods with and without environment embedding for Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4 and Cs 2 UO 2 Br 4 . This approach expands the possibilities for probing the electronic structure in uranyl complexes beyond the strongly covalent U–O bonds. The combined analyses find that one of the two largest principal EFG tensor components at the halogen sites points along the U–X bond (X = Cl, Br), and the second is parallel to the UO 2 2+ ion; in Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4 , the components are nearly equal in magnitude, whereas in Cs 2 UO 2 Br 4 , due to short-range bromide–cesium interactions, the equatorial component is dominant for one pair of Br sites and the axial component is larger for the second pair. Additionally, the directions and relative magnitudes of the field gradient principal axes are found to be sensitive to the σ and π electron donation by the ligands and the model of the environment. Chlorine-35 NQR spectra of 235 U-depleted and 235 U-enriched Cs 2 UO 2 Cl 4 exhibited no uranium-isotope-dependent shift, but the resonance of the depleted sample displayed a 58% broader line width.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗