High energy lithium ion battery electrode materials; enhanced charge storage via both alloying and insertion processes

Deciphering Structural Origins of Highly Reversible Lithium Storage in High Entropy Oxides with In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy

Configurational entropy-stabilized single-phase high-entropy oxides (HEOs) have been considered revolutionary electrode materials with both reversible lithium storage and high specific capacity that are difficult to fulfill simultaneously by conventional electrodes. However, precise understanding of lithium storage mechanisms in such HEOs remains controversial due to complex multi-cationic oxide systems. Here, distinct reaction dynamics and structural evolutions in rocksalt-type HEOs upon cycling are carefully studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including imaging, electron diffraction, and electron energy loss spectroscopy at atomic scale. The mechanisms of composition-dependent conversion/alloying reaction kinetics along with spatiotemporal variations of valence states upon lithiation are revealed, characterized by disappearance of the original rocksalt phase. Unexpectedly, it is found from the first visualization evidence that the post-lithiation polyphase state can be recovered to the original rocksalt-structured HEOs via reversible and symmetrical delithiation reactions, which is unavailable for monometallic oxide systems. Rigorous electrochemical tests coupled with postmortem ex situ TEM and bulk-level phase analyses further validate the crucial role of structural recovery capability in ensuring the reversible high-capacity Li-storage in HEOs. These findings can provide valuable guidelines to design compositionally engineer HEOs for almighty electrodes of next-generation long-life energy storage devices.

Three-Dimensional SnO2 Nanoparticles Synthesized by Joule Heating as Anode Materials for Lithium Ion Batteries

Tin dioxide (SnO2) is a promising material for use as anodes because of its high theoretical capacity (1,494 mAh g−1). However, a critical limitation is the large change in volume during repeated cycling by pulverization of SnO2, which results in capacity fading. In this study, we enhanced cycle life and reduced capacity fading by introducing the use of three-dimensional SnO2 nanoparticles on carbon nanofibers (CNFs) as an anode material, which is fabricated by simple carbothermal shock through the Joule heating method. Our observations show that the SnO2 nanoparticles are about 50 nm in diameter and are uniformly distributed on CNF, and that the strong connections between SnO2 nanoparticles and CNF are sustained even after repeated cycling. This structural advantage provides high reversible capacity and enhanced cycle performance for over 100 cycles. This study provides insight into the fabrication of anode materials that have strong electric connections between active materials and conductive materials due to the Joule heating method for high-performance lithium ion batteries.

Continuous Hydrothermal Synthesis of Inorganic Nanoparticles: Applications and Future Directions

Nanomaterials are at the leading edge of the emerging field of nanotechnology. Their unique and tunable size-dependent properties (in the range 1-100 nm) make these materials indispensable in many modern technological applications. In this Review, we summarize the state-of-art in the manufacture and applications of inorganic nanoparticles made using continuous hydrothermal flow synthesis (CHFS) processes. First, we introduce ideal requirements of any flow process for nanoceramics production, outline different approaches to CHFS, and introduce the pertinent properties of supercritical water and issues around mixing in flow, to generate nanoparticles. This Review then gives comprehensive coverage of the current application space for CHFS-made nanomaterials including optical, healthcare, electronics (including sensors, information, and communication technologies), catalysis, devices (including energy harvesting/conversion/fuels), and energy storage applications. Thereafter, topics of precursor chemistry and products, as well as materials or structures, are discussed (surface-functionalized hybrids, nanocomposites, nanograined coatings and monoliths, and metal-organic frameworks). Later, this Review focuses on some of the key apparatus innovations in the field, such as in situ flow/rapid heating systems (to investigate kinetics and mechanisms), approaches to high throughput flow syntheses (for nanomaterials discovery), as well as recent developments in scale-up of hydrothermal flow processes. Finally, this Review covers environmental considerations, future directions and capabilities, along with the conclusions and outlook.