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At least 595 records · Page 33

Stabilizing Nickel‐Rich Cathodes in Aqueous Process through Nanocellulose as Water Barrier

Nickel-rich LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NMC 811) cathode offers high voltage and high specific capacity, making it promising for high energy density batteries. However, large-scale manufacturing of aqueous-processed NMC 811 electrodes remains challenging due to proton exchange causing material decomposition and capacity loss. This work addresses this issue by constructing an in situ nanocellulose protective layer for NMC 811 particles via electrostatic interactions during the slurry preparation. For the first time, the interatomic spacing between inter-chains of nanocellulose is measured through wide-angle X-ray scattering and demonstrate the ability to effectively confine interlayer water using atomistic simulations. Moreover, this nanocellulose coverage simultaneously minimizes Li + surface segregation and mitigates water infiltration. Owing to less material decomposition during the aqueous processing, nanocellulose-protected NMC electrodes exhibit higher initial coulombic efficiency (83% vs 62% at 0.1C) and capacity (133 vs 59 mAh g −1 at 6C) than unprotected electrodes. Additionally, optimized aqueous-processed NMC electrodes offer comparable or even superior electrochemical properties compared to the electrodes fabricated using the conventional toxic organic solvent, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Consequently, the developed approach enables affordable, sustainable aqueous processing for Nickel-rich NMC 811 cathodes with excellent electrochemical performances.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Imitating Architectural Mortise‐Tenon Structure for Stable Ni‐Rich Layered Cathodes

Ni-rich layered oxides are the most promising cathodes for Li-ion batteries, but chemo-mechanical failures during cycling and large first-cycle capacity loss hinder their applications in high-energy batteries. Herein, by introducing spinel-like mortise-tenon structures into the layered phase of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811), the adverse volume variations in cathode materials can be significantly suppressed. Meanwhile, these mortise-tenon structures play the role of the expressway for fast lithium-ion transport, which is substantiated by experiments and calculations. Moreover, the particles with mortise-tenon structures usually terminate with the most stable (003) facet. The new cathode exhibits a discharge capacity of 215 mAh g –1 at 0.1 C with an initial Coulombic efficiency of 97.5%, and capacity retention of 82.2% after 1200 cycles at 1 C. Importantly, this work offers a viable lattice engineering to address the stability and low initial Coulombic efficiency of the Ni-rich layered oxides, and facilitates the implementation of Li-ion batteries with high-energy density and long durability.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Bulk Oxygen Stabilization via Electrode–Electrolyte Interphase Tailored Surface Activities of Li–Rich Cathodes

The O3-type Li-rich layered oxides (LLOs) are approaching industrial applications as high-energy cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs), however, they suffer from rapid performance decay associated with oxygen activities. The interplay between surface and bulk transformations in LLOs, especially the electrochemical behaviors of oxygen anions, remains elusive. Here, by regulating the surface of an O3-type LLO (Li 1.13 Mn 0.517 Ni 0.256 Co 0.097 O 2 ) using an all-fluorinated electrolyte, an enhanced capacity retention from 57.4% to 85.3% and a suppressed voltage decay from 1.34 mV cycle –1 to 0.58 mV cycle –1 within 300 cycles are realized. The performance enhancement is attributed to the thin, uniform, robust, and compact F-rich cathode-electrolyte interphase (CEI), which suppresses various types of oxygen-related surface degradation and, more importantly, stabilizes the bulk oxygen reactions. Finally, through the combined experimental and theoretical studies, this work directly reveals the intriguing association between the surface and bulk oxygen activities and demonstrates that optimizing the interphase is an effective approach for improving the stability of high-energy battery cathodes involving oxygen redox reactions.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Alternate Synthesis Method for High-Performance Manganese Rich Cation Disordered Rocksalt Cathodes

Cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) cathodes have recently emerged as a promising class of cobalt-free, high-capacity cathodes for lithium-ion batteries. To facilitate their commercialization, the development of scalable synthesis techniques providing control over composition and morphology is critical. To this end, a sol-gel synthesis route to prepare Mn-rich DRX cathodes with high capacities is presented here. Several compositions with varied Mn content and nominal F doping are successfully prepared using this technique. In-situ X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate that DRX formation proceeds at moderate temperature (800 °C) through the sol-gel route, which enables intimate mixing among reactive intermediate phases that form at lower temperatures. All synthesized compositions possess cation short-range order, as evidenced by neutron pair distribution function and electron diffraction analysis. These DRX materials demonstrate promising electrochemical performance with reversible capacities up to 275 mAh g. Compared to the baseline oxide (Li 1.2 Mn 0.4 Ti 0.4 O 2 ), the Mn-rich compositions exhibit improved cycling stability, with some showing an increase in capacity upon cycling. Finally, this study demonstrates the feasibility of preparing high-capacity DRX cathodes through a sol-gel based synthesis route, which may be further optimized to provide better control over the product morphology compared to traditional synthesis methods.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Insight of Synthesis of Single Crystal Ni-Rich LiNi 1-x-y Co x Mn y O 2 Cathodes

Single-crystal Ni-rich LiNi 1-x-y Co x Mn y O 2 (NCM) cathodes have garnered widespread attention in the lithium-ion battery community due to their unique advantages in mechanical performance and their ability to minimize interfacial electrochemical side reactions. The synthesis of single-crystal materials with monodisperse and appropriate size, minimal lattice defects, and highly ordered structures is the key for high-performance batteries. However, achieving this goal poses challenges due to the lack of in-depth understanding regarding specific experimental parameters and the solid reaction mechanism during the synthesis process. Further, in this review, the aim is to provide an in-depth analysis of the critical process parameters involved in the synthesis and their impact on crystal morphology, structure, and electrochemical performance. Consequently, the first section focuses on the effect of the precursor morphology, lithium salt, atmosphere, and sintering procedure. In the second section, the study delves into an in-depth discussion of the solid reaction and crystal growth mechanism. Lastly, it is concluded by highlighting the prospects and challenges associated with the synthesis and application of single-crystal Ni-rich NCM cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Mitigating Cyclable Li‐Ion Inventory Loss in Full Cells with Mn‐Rich Disordered Rocksalt Cathodes

Lithium (Li)- and manganese (Mn)-rich disordered rock salt (DRX) materials are promising cathode materials for next-generation Li-ion batteries. Although these cathode materials are Li-ions rich in their pristine state, their incorporation into full cells results in challenges with maintaining Li-ion inventory during cycling. Herein, the degradation mechanisms of DRX materials in different DRX||Graphite full cells are reported. It is found that DRX electrodes contain Li impurities, primarily due to the environmental sensitivity of mechanochemically synthesized DRX materials during sample transfer and storage. In addition, the structural instability of DRX triggers Mn dissolution. Dissolved Mn ions react with exposed Li x C y compounds and induce electrolyte decomposition on the anode, further depleting Li-ion inventory. Control experiments involving the pre-addition of Mn 2+ provide clear evidence of the impact of Mn dissolution on Li-ion inventory. The electrochemical activation process can stabilize DRX, alleviate Mn dissolution and thus mitigate the loss of Li-ion inventory. These mechanistic insights inform the development of chemical pre-lithiation and electrolyte additive strategies to collectively passivate interfaces, mitigate the effects of trace dissolved Mn ions, and preserve Li-ion inventory. Ultimately, the DRX||Graphite full cell achieves highly reversible electrochemical reactions with a high capacity retention. This study fills a research gap in DRX-based full cells and provides insights into degradation mechanisms and optimization strategies for their practical use.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

High-Voltage Performance of Ni-Rich NCA Cathodes: Linking Operating Voltage with Cathode Degradation

High-voltage Ni-rich cathodes have been studied as a possible way to achieve high energy density in Li-ion batteries. However, capacity fade due to structural changes at high voltages has limited their applications. In this study, we identify 4.5 V (vs. graphite) as the optimum upper cutoff voltage (UCV) for a Ni-rich NCA cathode [LiNi 0.8 Co 0.15 Al 0.05 O 2 ]. At this UCV, NCA delivers a 12 % increase in reversible capacity (when discharged to 2.5 V) and retains 92 % of its initial capacity after 100 cycles at 1C/-1C cycling when compared to 4.2 V as UCV. By increasing UCV to 4.7 V, the discharge capacity can be raised to >200 mAh/g. However, the rate of capacity fade is greater when compared to 4.5 V as UCV. This increased rate of capacity fade, at higher UCV, is related to irreversible lattice contractions that leads to structural rearrangement at charged states during high-voltage cycling. Lastly, our results show a change in transition metal oxidation states and an onset of structural ordering occurs when the UCV is 4.7 V.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Probing Distinctive Redox Mechanism in Ni-Rich Cathode Via Real-Time Quick X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

X-ray radiation damage on the measuring system has been a critical issue regularly for a long-time exposure to X-ray beam during the in operando characterizations, which is particularly severe when the applied X-ray energy is near the absorption edges (M, L, K, etc.) of the interest element. Here, to minimize the negative effects raised by beam radiation, we employ quick X-ray absorption spectroscopy (QXAS) to study the electrochemical reaction mechanism of a Ni-rich layered structure cathode for lithium-ion batteries. With the advanced QXAS technique, the electronic structure and local coordination environment of the transition metals (TMs) are monitored in-operando with limited radiation damage. Compared to the conventional step-mode X-ray absorption spectroscopy, the QXAS can provide more reliable oxidation state change and more detailed local structure evolutions surrounding TMs (Ni and Co) in Ni-rich layered oxides. By leveraging these advantages of QXAS, we demonstrated that the Ni dominates the electrochemical process with the Co being almost electrochemically inactive. Reversible Ni ions movement between TMs sites and Li sites is also revealed by the time-resolved QXAS technique.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

CLAS12 RICH: New Hybrid Geometry for Strangeness Studies

The Jefferson Lab (JLab) CLAS12 detector will provide a world- leading facility for the study of electron-nucleon scattering. The CLAS12 physics program is very broad and includes studies on quarks dynamics as well as studies on the meson and baryon spectroscopy with quasi-real photoproduction in a large variety of nal states. The particle identification will be complemented by a Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detector (RICH), that will provide separation of kaons from protons and pions in the momentum range between 3-8 GeV/c allowing the study of pion and kaon electroproduction in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering as well as studying double and triple strange baryons. In this work, we will focus on the new technologies developed for the RICH, especially on the complex optical system, that allows to reduce the photo-detection area. Particular attention is given to the characterization of the surface in relationship with the simulation capability of GEANT4.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Synthesis and electrochemical characterization of Cr-doped lithium-rich Li 1.2 Ni 0.16 Mn 0.56 Co 0.08-x Cr x O 2 cathodes

Lithium-rich layer oxide, Li 1.2 Ni 0.16 Mn 0.56 Co 0.08 O 2 (NMC), is a possible cathode candidate for high-energy density batteries. Issues such as cycling stability, rate performance, and cost are yet to be overcome before successful commercialization of the material. In this work, we report on the synthesis of Cr-doped lithium-rich phases Li 1.2 Ni 0.16 Mn 0.56 Co 0.08-x Cr x O 2 (where x=0.00, 0.01, and 0.02) (NMC-Cr) by the sol-gel technique. Cr is homogeneously distributed in the crystal structure evidence by elemental mapping measurements. The Cr-doped materials exhibit much better cycling stability with 100% capacity retention versus 44% for the undoped sample after 50 cycles. The Cr-doped samples show excellent electrochemical performance at higher C-rate in comparison with the undoped NMC. The latter shows rapid capacity fading from 220 to 50 mAh g ₋1 at the 0.1 to 1C rates, respectively. Moreover, the Cr-containing materials do not show significant signs of voltage fading during cycling owing to the stabilization of the crystal lattice by Cr. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements also indicate the stable cell resistance on cycling for the Cr-doped phases compared to the undoped phase.Open image in new window

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Constructing uniform oxygen defect engineering on primary particle level for high-stability lithium-rich cathode materials

Lithium-rich layered cathode materials are considered to be research focus of cathode candidates for next generation lithium-ion batteries due to their high specific capacity and low cost. However, lattice deoxidation associated with elemental migration and internal local shrinkage usually results in deteriorated cyclic performance and notorious voltage attenuation, severely limiting its application. In this paper, we have successfully injected uniform oxygen defects into surface region of Li 1.2 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 Mn 0.54 O 2 primary particles under the high-pressure and weak carbonate environment. Various experimental investigations indicate that the injected robust oxygen defects can not only mitigate detrimental interfacial reactions but also suppress unfavorable lattice variation and particle breakage. More importantly, theoretical calculations unravel the critical roles of oxygen defects in regulating energy band structure for strengthened anionic reversibility. Owing to stabilization effects of unique oxygen defect engineering, the modified Li 1.2 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 Mn 0.54 O 2 cathode has harvested dramatically enhanced electrochemical performance including a high initial coulombic efficiency of 96.6%, an outstanding capacity retention of 91.96% (1C, 200 cycles) and suppressed voltage decay of only 1.62 mV per cycle. Therefore, this facile and effective defect engineering strategy could establish new guidance for promoting practical application of Li-rich Mn-based cathode material.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

SANS coupled with fluid invasion approaches for characterization of overall nanopore structure and mesopore connectivity of organic-rich marine shales in China

The pore structure of shales, including pore morphology, connectivity, pore volume, specific surface area (SSA), and pore size distribution (PSD), is a significant factor in controlling gas storage and transport and the migration mechanisms of hydrocarbons. However, the lack of comprehensive characterization for both accessible and inaccessible pore structure increases the difficulty of gas-in-place estimation and gas exploration. In order to investigate the nanoscale pore system, integration of high-pressure mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), low-pressure N 2 /CO 2 adsorption (LNA/LCA), and small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) were employed to obtain a multi-scale quantitative characterization of the nanopore structure of organic-rich marine shale samples from the Longmaxi and Niutitang Formations in China. In this work, PSDs obtained from the combined techniques appropriately cover an overall nanopore size range of shale (0.35–15,000 nm) and overcome the limits of the individual method. Uni-, bi, and multi-modal PSDs were observed, but the sizes of a significant portion of the nanopores observed in these shales range from 0.35 to 100 nm. Pore volumes and surface areas of micropores (<2 nm), mesopores (2–50 nm), and macropores (>50 nm) were characterized based on the best performance window of each technique: LCA for micropores; LNA and SANS for mesopores; and MIP for macropores. It was found that micropores are the major contributor to the total SSA for both the Longmaxi and Niutitang shales. With respect to pore volume, however, the contribution to the total pore volume has a trend of micropore < mesopore < macropore for the Longmaxi shale samples, but micro-/mesopore volumes are greater than macropore volumes for samples of the Niutitang shale. Strong correlations were also observed between total organic carbon (TOC) content and micropore volume and surface area, which implies that organic matter is a controlling factor in the micropore system of organic-rich shales. In addition, strong correlations between methane adsorption capacity and both micro-/mesopore volumes and SSAs indicate that micro-/mesopores are governing factors for methane storage. Furthermore, the fractions of accessible mesopore volume and surface area were quantitatively estimated by SANS and LNA. Correlation analyses suggest that the accessibility of the mesopore surface area could be an indicator for gas transport and storage in mesopores in organic matter. Thus, a shale with higher connectivity could have higher gas diffusion capability but lower gas adsorption capacity, and vice versa.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Fuel-rich n-heptane oxidation: A shock tube and laser absorption study

The chemical kinetics of n-heptane (n-C 7 H 16 ) – an important reference compound for real fuels – oxidation are well studied at stoichiometric and lean conditions. However, there is only limited information on the n-heptane chemical kinetics in fuel-rich combustion. In order to verify the accuracy of chemical kinetic models at these conditions, the oxidation of rich n-heptane mixtures has been investigated. Combustion of n-C 7 H16/O2/Ar mixtures at equivalence ratios, φ, of 2.0 and 3.0 behind reflected shock waves has been studied at temperatures ranging from 1066 to 1502 K and at pressures ranging from 1.4 to 6.2 atm. Reaction progress was monitored by recording pressure and absorption time-histories of ethylene (C 2 H 4 ) and n-heptane at a location 2 cm from the endwall of a 14-cm inner diameter shock tube. Ethylene and n-heptane absorption time-histories were measured, respectively, using absorption spectroscopy at 10.532 μm from a tunable CO 2 laser and at around 3.4 μm from a continuous wave distributed feedback interband cascade laser (ICL). The measured absorption time-histories were compared with modeled predictions from the Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) detailed n-heptane reaction mechanism. Overall, to the best of our knowledge, current data are the first time-resolved n-heptane and ethylene concentration measurements conducted in a shock tube at these conditions.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Chemical stability and long-term cell performance of low-cobalt, Ni-Rich cathodes prepared by aqueous processing for high-energy Li-Ion batteries

Cobalt content in Li-ion battery cathodes has become a top concern due to its price volatility and limited source availability. Low-cobalt, Ni-rich active materials are promising candidates for next-generation cathodes due to their high capacities, and water-based processing of these materials can further reduce both cost and environmental impact. We systematically evaluated the water compatibility of four different LiNi x Mn 1-x-y Co y O 2 (NMC) powders with increasing nickel contents. Comprehensive characterization verified there is no major change to their bulk structures, and only slight surface modifications related to the removal of contaminant species. For the first time, we demonstrate that LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC 811) cathodes can be formulated in water and cycled 1000 times in full pouch cells with excellent capacity retention (~70% compared to ~76% for NMP-processed cells). When implemented in future battery production lines, aqueous processing of Ni-rich NMC will simultaneously enable cost reductions and higher cell energy densities.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

An epitaxial surface heterostructure anchoring approach for high-performance Ni-rich layered cathodes

Nickel-rich (Ni≥90%) layered oxides materials have emerged as a promising candidate for next-generation high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, their widespread application is hindered by structural fatigue and lattice oxygen loss. In this work, an epitaxial surface rock-salt nanolayer is successfully developed on the LiNi 0.9 Co 0.1 O 2 sub-surface via heteroatom anchoring utilizing high-valence element molybdenum modification. This in-situ formed conformal buffer phase with a thickness of 1.2nm effectively suppresses the continuous interphase side-reactions, and thus maintains the excellent structure integrity at high voltage. Furthermore, theoretical calculations indicate that the lattice oxygen reversibility in the anion framework of the optimized sample is obviously enhanced due to the higher content of O 2p states near the Fermi level than that of the pristine one. Meanwhile, the stronger Mo–O bond further reduces cell volume alteration, which improves the bulk structure stability of modified materials. Besides, the detailed charge compensation mechanism suggests that the average oxidation state of Ni is reduced, which induces more active Li + participating in the redox reactions, boosting the cell energy density. As a result, the uniquely designed cathode materials exhibit an extraordinary discharge capacity of 245.4 mAh g −1 at 0.1 C, remarkable rate performance of 169.3 mAh g −1 at 10 C at 4.5V, and a high capacity retention of 70.5% after 1000 cycles in full cells at a high cut-off voltage of 4.4V. Further, this strategy provides an valuable insight into constructing distinctive heterostructure on high-performance Ni-rich layered cathodes for LIBs.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

High-entropy Li-rich layered oxide cathode for Li-ion batteries

High-entropy oxides (HEOs) are emerging as promising cathode materials for Li-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their stable solid-state phase and compositional flexibility. Herein, we investigate the structural and electrochemical properties of a novel non-equimolar high-entropy cathode material, termed high-entropy Li-rich layered oxide (HE-LLO, Li 1.15 Na 0.05 Ni 0.19 Mn 0.56 Fe 0.02 Mg 0.02 Al 0.02 O 1.97 F 0.03 ), in comparison to a pristine Li-rich layered oxide (PR-LLO, Li1.2Ni0.2Mn0.6O2). The incorporation of multiple cations (Na + , Al 3+ , Mg 2+ , Fe 3+ ) and anion (F - ) into HE-LLO introduces compositional diversity, enhancing structural stability through the entropy stabilization effect. Theoretical calculations confirm a significantly higher configurational entropy in HE-LLO compared to PRLLO, supporting its high-entropy nature. Electrochemical evaluations demonstrate that HE-LLO exhibits considerable capacity retention, preserving 76.8 % of its discharge capacity at 0.5C after 200 cycles, compared to only 36.2 % for PR-LLO. Even under high-temperature conditions, HE-LLO outperformed PR-LLO, maintaining 76.1 % of its discharge capacity after 100 cycles at 5C, while PR-LLO retained only 12.4 %. These enhancements are attributed to the improved phase reversibility and higher Li + ion diffusion coefficients of HE-LLO, validated by ex-situ characterizations using a synchrotron X-ray technique, along with density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In conclusion, these findings highlight the promise of non-equimolar HEOs as a novel design strategy for highperformance cathode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Slug-flow synthesis of NCMA: Effect of substitution of cobalt with aluminum on the electrochemical performance of Ni-rich cathode for lithium-ion battery

Nickle-rich Li[Ni 1-x-y Co x Mn y ]O 2 (x, y≤0.1) (NCM) layered materials are known as promising cathode materials for next-generation lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles owing to their high-reversible capacity and operating voltage of up to 3.6 vs Li/Li + . However, issues, such as irreversible phase transition, cation mixing, microcrack formation, thermal and structural stability of the material prevent its widespread adoption. Although, cation doping is a well-known technique to enhance the electrochemical performance of the NCM-based cathode material, the performance of the material is very sensitive to the doping amount. In this study, three Al-doped quaternary Ni-rich cathode materials Li[Ni 0.85 Co (0.1-x) Mn 0.05 Al x ]O 2 (where, x=0–0.04) (NCMA) are synthesized through three-phase slug-flow based continuous manufacturing process followed by high temperature calcination to study the effect of Aldoping on the performance of the cathode material while reducing Co. The slug flow-based production platform has several advantages, like particle size uniformity, high production rate, and homogeneity in elemental distribution. It is found that with an increase in Al content, the specific capacity decreases but the cyclic stability and rate capability increases. Furthermore, optimum Al-doping not only compensates for the adverse effect of low Co by decreasing the extent of cation mixing, but it also minimizes the electrode polarization and cracking of the particles.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Correlating the phase evolution and anionic redox in Co-Free Ni-Rich layered oxide cathodes

Current trend of high-capacity Ni-rich layered cathode is to develop high-Ni and low-Co or Co-free oxides. The high Ni content layered oxides provide great advantages in capacity, cost and environmental benignity, similar to LiNiO 2 parent compound. But they also inherit drawbacks in structural and chemical instability at high voltages upon cycling. As such, elemental substitution plays a profound role in addressing these challenges. This work elucidates the roles of Al doping in cationic redox and anionic oxygen activity in LiAl x Ni 1-x O 2 using combined X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) as well as operando differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS). Using synchrotron wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), we extrapolate a general principle of phase transition and its coupling with lattice anionic oxygen redox. These findings shed light on the advancement of high-capacity, stable-cycling and safe-operating Ni-rich cathode materials for next generation Li-ion batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗