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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Orienting Strained Interfaces designed to Direct Energy Flow (Final Technical Report)

This proposal aims to establish a transformative paradigm for oxide heterostructures with an exceptionally large number of interfaces designed to direct energy flow through controlled interface orientation, enabling fast ion transport. A primary focus is on unveiling the key role of interfacial strain in oxygen ion migration at low temperatures. The central challenge is to create, understand, utilize self-assembled vertical heteroepitaxial nanostructures with the goal of obtaining and understanding fast ion transport properties by modulating interfacial strain. The specific objectives are: (1) to synthesize multilayer thin films and vertical heteroepitaxial nanostructures with fluorite Gd-doped CeO 2 (GDC) and bixbyite RE 2 O 3 (RE = Y and Sm), (2) to evaluate the interfacial strain states under various temperatures and ambient conditions, (3) to understand the effect of interfacial strain on ionic conductivity of the proposed nanostructures, (4) to understand the three-dimensional (3D) atomic structure of the proposed material design and interface phenomena at the atomic scale.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Non-equilibrium insertion of lithium ions into graphite

Graphite has been regarded as the most important anode material for currently used lithium-ion batteries due to its two-dimensional (2D) nature hosting ionic intercalations. However, the kinetic insertion of Li ions is still not well known microscopically. In this work, we investigate the real-time intercalation process of Li ions using in situ transmission electron microscopy. We observe the lithium insertion process at the atomic scale, in which the graphite layers undergo expansion, forming wrinkles and finally inhomogeneous cracks as the Li ions accumulate, different from the proposed models. Leveraging on theoretical simulations, Li-ion migration driven by an external electrical field is suggested to be induced into the irreversible wrinkled structures. This non-equilibrium behavior that occur in lithium-ion batteries can be more pronounced at a high charging rate, which will practically degrade the capacity of graphite. Furthermore, this work unveils the reaction scenario of the non-equilibrium Li-ion insertion, which benefits the understanding of the performance of graphite-based energy-storage devices.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Role of Pr-Vacancies and O-Interstitials on the Activity and Stability of (Pr 1−x Ln x ) 2 NiO 4 (Ln = La, Nd, Pm, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) towards Oxygen Reduction Reactions: A DFT Study

Praseodymium nickelate, Pr 2 NiO 4 (PNO), is a promising electrode to promote oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a solid oxide fuel cell, but it exhibits phase transformation during electrochemical operation. The origin of the simultaneous phase transformation and high electrochemical performance remains obscure. We carried out a systematic density functional theory study to elucidate the mechanism for this conjugated phenomenon. Charge, electronic structure, and normal-mode analysis suggest the presence of peroxide. Our study shows that the formation of peroxide (O 2 2– ) is attributed to both oxygen interstitials and Pr vacancies. The peroxide species limits the oxygen ion migration due to the additional energy required to break its O–O bond, which leads to a decrease in ORR activity. Subsequently, we investigate the diffusion paths of Pr-ions while comparing them with those of other Ln 3+ ions (La, Nd, Pm, Sm, Gd, Tb, Dy, and Ho) in PNO. The formation energies for various Ln 3+ cation occupancies are calculated, as well as segregation energies in CeO 2 (111) surfaces. Lastly, criteria for effective Ln 3+ dopants are developed. La, Nd, and Pm are proposed as potential substituents in PNO to obtain a stable structure.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

How non-ohmic contact-layer diodes in perovskite pinholes affect abrupt low-voltage reverse-bias breakdown and destruction of solar cells

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) rapidly degrade under reverse bias, a condition that may occur during partial shading. Here, in this study, we use electrical measurements, electron microscopy, and optical and thermal imaging to investigate abrupt breakdown and hotspotting under low reverse potentials (<|-2| V). We show that microscopic pinholes in the perovskite layer cause rapid, destructive breakdown under reverse bias despite minimally reducing power conversion efficiencies. Measurements on miniature (200-micrometer diameter) PSCs and perovskite-free transport-layer diodes indicate that abrupt, low-voltage breakdown occurs in nanoscale to micrometer-scale defects and that metal migration and filamentation are unlikely causes. Reverse-bias stability substantially improves when pinholes in the perovskite and transport layers are eliminated. Atomic layer deposition of tin oxide prevents abrupt breakdown by ensuring physical separation between electrodes-not by blocking metal ion migration. Perovskite researchers should adopt cleaner, more uniform deposition techniques to enable robust PSCs for further research and commercial applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Li-Rich and Halide-Deficient Argyrodite Fast Ion Conductors

Here, we report on a new family of halide-deficient and Li-rich argyrodite fast-ion conductors, Li 6+x PS 5+x (Cl/Br/I) 1–x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.85). Exploration of the influence of aliovalent anion substitution in Li 6 PS 5 X (X = Cl, Br, I)–using a combination of high-resolution powder neutron diffraction and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy–reveals that aliovalent anion substitution induces higher Li-ion concentration and Li site disorder, and creates S 2– /I – anion site disorder on the 4a site. In the series Li 6+x PS 5+x I 1–x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.4), the resulting conductivity for Li 6.4 PS 5.4 I 0.6 (0.13 mS·cm –1 ) represents almost a 100-fold increase over that of the parent phase, Li 6 PS 5 I (0.0033 mS·cm –1 ), and establishes one of the first fast-ion conducting argyrodite thiophosphate iodides. For Cl-argyrodites, the ionic conductivity decreases a little with lower halide-content but ionic conductivity for the Br-argyrodites is almost unchanged. Overall, all Cl/Br-argyrodites Li 6 +xPS 5+x (Cl/Br) 1–x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.75) with a low halide content exhibit surprisingly high ionic conductivities > 1 mS·cm –1 despite a very low degree of sulfur/halogen anion site disorder. Our findings highlight the importance of attaining a disordered Li-ion sublattice and sulfur/halogen anion site disorder (anionic charge homogeneity) in argyrodites, where Li ions occupy high energy sites and activate concerted ion migration that drives the ionic conductivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2023

Speciation of Transition Metal Dissolution in Electrolyte from Common Cathode Materials

Abstract Significant capacity loss has been observed across extended cycling of lithium‐ion batteries cycled to high potential. One of the sources of capacity fade is transition metal dissolution from the cathode active material, ion migration through the electrolyte, and deposition on the solid‐electrolyte interphase on the anode. While much research has been conducted on the oxidation state of the transition metal in the cathode active material or deposited on the anode, there have been limited investigations of the oxidation state of the transition metal ions dissolved in the electrolyte. In this work, X‐ray absorption spectroscopy has been performed on electrolytes extracted from cells built with four different cathode active materials (LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO), LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO), LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811), and (x Li 2 MnO 3 *(1‐x) LiNi a Mn b Co c O 2 , with a+b+ c =1) (LMRNMC)) that were cycled at either high or standard potentials to determine the oxidation state of Mn and Ni in solution. Inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry has been performed on the anodes from these cells to determine the concentration of deposited transition metal ions. While transition metal ions were found dissolved in all electrolytes, the oxidation state(s) of Mn and Ni were determined to be dependent on the cathode material and independent of cycling potential.

Rynearson, Leah↗
DOE OSTI2023

Speciation of Transition Metal Dissolution in Electrolyte from Common Cathode Materials

Significant capacity loss has been observed across extended cycling of lithium-ion batteries cycled to high potential. One of the sources of capacity fade is transition metal dissolution from the cathode active material, ion migration through the electrolyte, and deposition on the solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode. While much research has been conducted on the oxidation state of the transition metal in the cathode active material or deposited on the anode, there have been limited investigations of the oxidation state of the transition metal ions dissolved in the electrolyte. Here, in this work, X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been performed on electrolytes extracted from cells built with four different cathode active materials (LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO), LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO), LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811), and (x Li 2 MnO 3 *(1-x) LiNi a Mn b Co c O 2 , with a+b+c=1) (LMRNMC)) that were cycled at either high or standard potentials to determine the oxidation state of Mn and Ni in solution. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry has been performed on the anodes from these cells to determine the concentration of deposited transition metal ions. While transition metal ions were found dissolved in all electrolytes, the oxidation state(s) of Mn and Ni were determined to be dependent on the cathode material and independent of cycling potential.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design of Next-Gen Cathode Materials With Both Cation and Anion Redox

Among all candidates of positive electrode materials for lithium ion batteries, the lithium rich layered oxides have gained growing research interests in recent years. Their energy density can reach closely to 700-900Wh/g (at materials level), making them the positive electrode materials with highest energy density among all known intercalation compounds for cathode materials. Combining both first principles computation, advanced electron and X-ray based imaging, we demonstrated that in the Li-rich materials oxygen vacancies are present and assist the transition metal ion migration through a facile mechanism. This means it is critically important to control the oxygen activities in these compounds for high voltage operations. In addition, the NiMn spinel oxides show little oxygen activities and under optimized synthesis condition the electrolyte/electrode interface showed superior stability. Combining the strengths of materials synthesis and the advanced characterization, I will discuss in details the strategies for stabilizing the anion redox for higher voltage electrode materials for lithium ion batteries.

Meng, Ying Shirley↗
DOE OSTI2024

Amorphous Oxyhalide Matters for Achieving Lithium Superionic Conduction

The recently surged halide-based solid electrolytes (SEs) are great candidates for high-performance all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), due to their decent ionic conductivity, wide electrochemical stability window, and good compatibility with high-voltage oxide cathodes. In contrast to the crystalline phases in halide SEs, amorphous components are rarely understood but play an important role in Li-ion conduction. Here, we reveal that the presence of amorphous component is common in halide-based SEs that are prepared via mechanochemical method. The fast Li-ion migration is found to be associated with the local chemistry of the amorphous proportion. Taking Zr-based halide SEs as an example, the amorphization process can be regulated by incorporating O, resulting in the formation of corner-sharing Zr–O/Cl polyhedrons. This structural configuration has been confirmed through X-ray absorption spectroscopy, pair distribution function analyses, and Reverse Monte Carlo modeling. The unique structure significantly reduces the energy barriers for Li-ion transport. As a result, an enhanced ionic conductivity of (1.35 ± 0.07) × 10 –3 S cm –1 at 25 °C can be achieved for amorphous Li 3 ZrCl 4 O 1.5 . In addition to the improved ionic conductivity, amorphization of Zr-based halide SEs via incorporation of O leads to good mechanical deformability and promising electrochemical performance. In conclusion, these findings provide deep insights into the rational design of desirable halide SEs for high-performance ASSBs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Selective Ion Enrichment and Charge Storage through Transport Hysteresis in Conical Nanopipettes

Greater selectivity and controls in the ion transport dynamics are essential in fields such as charge storage, separation, energy storage and conversion, neuromorphic computing and learning, electrochemistry, to name a few. Mechanistic insights into the intriguing hysteresis effects in the rectified electrokinetic transport through single conical nanopipettes are unveiled by combining time-resolved electroanalytical experiments with numeric simulation. Cations as counterions for surface charges are found to dominate not just the through-nanopore flux but also the hysteresis charges, that is, the net enriched or expelled charges during the transport process. Built on our earlier report on the through-nanopore ion flux dominated by counterions for surface charges, the “trapped ions” or hysteresis charges are analyzed herein. Cation selectivity is almost 100% in the hysteresis charges during the potential scans in low conductivity states driven by the combined applied and intrinsic surface electrical fields. Surprisingly, the cation selectivity in the total hysteresis charges remains high at 70–80% over a wide bulk concentration range in the high conductivity (HC) states, where higher ionic strength due to ion enrichment would decrease electrostatistic effects and thus ion selectivity. The retained high selectivity at HC is explained by the competition effects of electroosmotic flow against the co-ion migration. Furthermore, the respective cation and anion portions in the total hysteresis charges over a wide range of ionic strength and measurement conditions provide generalizable strategies for improvements in both transport throughput and selectivity.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Additive-Induced Morphology Change of Polymer Film Enables Enhanced Charge Mobility and Faster Organic Electrochemical Transistor Switching

Conjugated polymers (CPs) play an important role in organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) for bioelectronics and related applications, where they serve as channel materials. Currently, most successful polymers for CPs are re-engineered from traditional CPs by replacing hydrophobic alkyl side chains with hydrophilic ethylene glycol or ionic groups. Frustratingly, the enhanced ion transport often compromises the charge mobility of the original CP. In this work, we present an additive-mediated method to construct a modified poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) film to enable efficient ion migration. The additive is designed with a cleavable diazo group that releases nitrogen and 2-methoxyethanol, a volatile compound, to alter the P3HT film morphology. OECTs based on the film exhibit improved response times. Interestingly, the process also enhances the crystallinity of P3HT, leading to higher hole mobility compared with pristine P3HT. This study proposes an in situ strategy to achieve the functionality of the OMIEC via morphological regulation, offering a promising route to simultaneously enhance both ion accessibility and charge mobility.

Organic polymers↗
DOE OSTI2024

Chemical Long-Range Disorder in Prussian Blue Analogues for Potassium Storage

Ordered Prussian blue analogues (PBAs) are vital cathode materials for ion storage, but strong interactions between the framework and host ions, especially large ions like K + , hinder ion migration, leading to poor diffusion kinetics and reduced reaction activity. Here, in this study, we present an approach to overcome this challenge by constructing chemical long-range disorder (LRD) in PBAs, involving maintaining inherent local coordination while introducing disorder over long-range spatial dimensions. Order control is achieved by introducing a large-sized lattice to disrupt the original lattice growth during synthesis. Unlike traditional monocrystalline particles, the abundant grain boundaries in the obtained LRD structure create significant potential fluctuations, generating additional electric fields that enhance ion transport. Furthermore, the short lattice coherence length reduces interaction between the framework and K + . These factors collectively contribute to the improved electrochemical activity of LRD PBAs during K + storage. This finding opens new avenues for designing PBA structures and offers insights into their structure-electrochemical performance relationship.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Elucidating and Mitigating High-Voltage Degradation Cascades in Cobalt-Free LiNiO 2 Lithium-Ion Battery Cathodes

LiNiO 2 (LNO) is a promising cathode material for next-generation Li-ion batteries due to its exceptionally high capacity and cobalt-free composition that enables more sustainable and ethical large-scale manufacturing. However, its poor cycle life at high operating voltages over 4.1 V impedes its practical use, thus motivating efforts to elucidate and mitigate LiNiO 2 degradation mechanisms at high states of charge. Here, a multiscale exploration of high-voltage degradation cascades associated with oxygen stacking chemistry in cobalt-free LiNiO 2 , is presented. In this work, lattice oxygen loss is found to play a critical role in the local O3–O1 stacking transition at high states of charge, which subsequently leads to Ni-ion migration and irreversible stacking faults during cycling. This undesirable atomic-scale structural evolution accelerates microscale electrochemical creep, cracking, and even bending of layers, ultimately resulting in macroscopic mechanical degradation of LNO particles. By employing a graphene-based hermetic surface coating, oxygen loss is attenuated in LNO at high states of charge, which suppresses the initiation of the degradation cascade and thus substantially improves the high-voltage capacity retention of LNO. Overall, this study provides mechanistic insight into the high-voltage degradation of LNO, which will inform ongoing efforts to employ cobalt-free cathodes in Li-ion battery technology.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dynamics of Hydroxyl Anions Promotes Lithium Ion Conduction in Antiperovskite Li 2 OHCl

Li 2 OHCl is an exemplar of the antiperovskite family of ionic conductors, for which high ionic conductivities have been reported, but in which the atomic-level mechanism of ion migration is unclear. The stable phase is both crystallographically defective and disordered, having similar to 1/3 of the Li sites vacant, while the presence of the OH(- )anion introduces the possibility of rotational disorder that may be coupled to cation migration. In this work, complementary experimental and computational methods are applied to understand the relationship between the crystal chemistry and ionic conductivity in Li 2 OHCl , which undergoes an orthorhombic to cubic phase transition near 311 K (approximate to 38 degrees C) and coincides with the more than a factor of 10 change in ionic conductivity (from 1.2 x 10 -5 mS/cm at 37 degrees C to 1.4 x 10 -3 mS/cm at 39 degrees C). X ray and neutron experiments conducted over the temperature range 20-200 degrees C, including diffraction, quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS), the maximum entropy method (MEM) analysis, and ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations, together show conclusively that the high lithium ion conductivity of cubic Li2OHCl is correlated to "paddlewheel" rotation of the dynamic OH - anion. The present results suggest that in antiperovskites and derivative structures a high cation vacancy concentration combined with the presence of disordered molecular anions can lead to high cation mobility.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2021

Fast Na diffusion and anharmonic phonon dynamics in superionic Na 3 PS 4

The design of new solid electrolytes (SEs) hinges on identifying and tuning relevant descriptors. Phonons describe the atomic dynamics in crystalline materials and provide a basis to encode possible minimum energy pathways for ion migration, but anharmonic effects can be large in SEs. Identifying and controlling the pertinent phonon modes coupled most strongly with ionic conductivity, and assessing the role of anharmonicity, could therefore pave the way for discovering and designing new SEs via phonon engineering. In this work, we investigate phonons in Na 3 PS 4 and their coupling to fast Na diffusion, using a combination of neutron scattering, ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD), and extended molecular dynamics based on machine-learned potentials. We identify that anharmonic soft-modes at the Brillouin zone boundary of the anharmonically stabilized cubic phase constitute key phonon modes that control the Na diffusion process in Na 3 PS 4 . We demonstrate how these strongly anharmonic phonon modes enable Na-ions to hop along the minimum energy pathways. Further, the quasi-elastic neutron scattering (QENS) measurements, supplemented with ab initio and machine-learned molecular dynamics simulations, probe the Na diffusivity and diffusion mechanism. These results offer detailed microscopic insights into the dynamic mechanism of fast Na diffusion and provide an avenue to search for further Na solid electrolytes.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Probing elemental diffusion and radiation tolerance of perovskite solar cells via non-destructive Rutherford backscattering spectrometry

Mixed organic–inorganic halide perovskite-based solar cells have attracted interest in recent years due to their potential for both terrestrial and space applications. Analysis of interfaces is critical to predicting device behavior and optimizing device architectures. Most advanced tools to study buried interfaces are destructive in nature and can induce further degradation. Ion beam techniques, such as Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS), is a useful non-destructive method to probe an elemental depth profile of multilayered perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as well as to study the inter-diffusion of various elemental species across interfaces. Additionally, PSCs are becoming viable candidates for space photovoltaic applications, and it is critical to investigate their radiation-induced degradation. RBS can be simultaneously utilized to analyze the radiation effects induced by He+ beam on the device, given their presence in space orbits. In the present work, a 2 MeV He+ beam was used to probe the evidence of elemental diffusion across PSC interfaces with architecture glass/ITO/SnO2/Cs0.05(MA0.17FA0.83)0.95Pb(I0.83Br0.17)3/spiro-OMeTAD/MoO3/Au. During the analysis, the device active area was exposed to an irradiation equivalent of up to 1.62 × 1015 He+/cm2, and yet, no measurable evidence (with a depth resolution ∼1 nm) of beam-induced ion migration was observed, implying high radiation tolerance of PSCs. On the other hand, aged PSCs exhibited indications of the movement of diverse elemental species, such as Au, Pb, In, Sn, Br, and I, in the active area of the device, which was quantified with the help of RBS.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗