Li intercalation in TiO2 anatase: Raman spectroscopy and lattice dynamic studies

Optical spectroscopy as a tool for battery research

The following compendium reviews the development and establishment of optical spectroscopy as an analytical method for battery material components and electrochemical reactions. The interaction of light with matter is a sensitive and non-destructive way to characterize any sample state, i.e. solids, liquids or gases. Special attention is devoted to infrared and ultraviolet spectroscopy, covering a wavelength range from 12 μm to 200 nm, as well as Raman scattering spectroscopy, in order to excite different vibrational/rotational lattice modes and transitions of valence electrons. This allows an insight into structural properties, chemical composition, oxidation states or kinetic processes. The development of spectroelectrochemical in situ cells allows the investigation of various battery components, e.g. working and counter electrode, separator, electrolyte as well as interfaces between these components. These powerful tools allow the evaluation of the functionality, stability and safety aspects of an electrochemical storage cell.

Nature of phase transitions in ammonium oxofluorovanadates, a vibrational spectroscopy study of (NH4)3VO2F4 and (NH4)3VOF5

Two ammonium oxofluorovanadates, (NH₄)₃VO₂F₄ and (NH₄)₃VOF₅, have been investigated by temperature-dependent infrared and Raman spectroscopy methods to determine the nature of phase transitions (PT) in these compounds. Dynamics of quasioctahedral groups was simulated within the framework of semi-empirical approach, which justified the cis-conformation of VO₂F₄^3- (C_2v) and the C_4v geometry of VOF₅^3-. The observed infrared and Raman spectra of both compounds at room temperature (RT) revealed the presence at least of two crystallographically independent octahedral groups. The first order PT at elevated temperatures is connected with a complete dynamic disordering of these groups with only single octahedral state. At lower temperatures, the octahedra are ordered and several octahedral states appear. This PT is the most pronounced in the case of (NH₄)₃VOF₅, when at least seven independent VOF₅^3- octahedra are present in the structure below 50K, in accordance with the Raman spectra. Ammonium groups do not take part in PTs at higher and room temperatures but their reorientational motion freezes at lower temperatures.

Tracking areal lithium densities from neutron activation - quantitative Li determination in self-organized TiO2 nanotube anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Nanostructuring of electrode materials is a promising approach to enhance the performance of next-generation, high-energy density lithium (Li)-ion batteries. Various experimental and theoretical approaches allow for a detailed understanding of solid-state or surface-controlled reactions that occur in nanoscaled electrode materials. While most techniques which are suitable for nanomaterial investigations are restricted to analysis widths of the order of Å to some nm, they do not allow for characterization over the length scales of interest for electrode design, which is typically in the order of mm. In this work, three different self-organized anodic titania nanotube arrays, comprising as-grown amorphous titania nanotubes, carburized anatase titania nanotubes, and silicon coated carburized anatase titania nanotubes, have been synthesized and studied as model composite anodes for use in Li-ion batteries. Their 2D areal Li densities have been successfully reconstructed with a sub-millimeter spatial resolution over lateral electrode dimensions of 20 mm exploiting the ⁶Li(n,α)³H reaction, in spite of the extremely small areal Li densities (10-20 μg cm^-2 Li) in the nanotubular active material. While the average areal Li densities recorded via triton analysis are found to be in good agreement with the electrochemically measured charges during lithiation, triton analysis revealed, for certain nanotube arrays, areas with a significantly higher Li content ('hot spots') compared to the average. In summary, the presented technique is shown to be extremely well suited for analysis of the lithiation behavior of nanostructured electrode materials with very low Li concentrations. Furthermore, identification of lithiation anomalies is easily possible, which allows for fundamental studies and thus for further advancement of nanostructured Li-ion battery electrodes.

Influence of Cation on Charge Recombination in Dye-Sensitized TiO2 Electrodes

The reaction of a dye cation recombining with an electron in TiO(2), in the presence of Li(+), Ca(2+), and TBA(+) cations, was studied with laser-induced transient absorption measurements. The active cations, Li(+) and Ca(2+), shorten the dye cation lifetime on sensitized TiO(2) but not ZnO electrodes. By combining the absorbance measurements of the dye cation with simultaneous measurements of the current transient, the contribution of the recombination reaction to the current is identified. Furthermore, classical porous electrode theory is used to quantify the behavior of the heterogeneous electrode, and in doing so, the processes contributing to photoinduced current are identified as Helmholtz layer charging, porous electrode charging, recombination reactions, and surface diffusion of the active cations. The rate of charge recombination is proportional to the concentration of initially deposited active cations. The effect of water on the recombination rate and the current is also observed.

Structural, Textural, and Electronic Properties of a Nanosized Mesoporous ZnxTi1-xO2-x Solid Solution Prepared by a Supercritical Drying Route

Mesoporous nanosized TiO2 and Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution having a Zn content below 10 mol % with a particles size between 13 and 17 nm are prepared by a template-free sol-gel method followed by high-temperature supercritical drying in 2-propanol. The structural, textural, and electronic properties of the obtained nanomaterials are methodically investigated by using XRD, SEM, TEM, ED, HREM, EDX, ICP-OES, N(2) adsorption-desorption, Raman spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. It is shown that the proposed synthesis technique leads to the formation of a Zn(x)Ti(1-x)O(2-x) solid solution based on the anatase crystal structure rather than a two-phase sample. High-resolution electron microscopy and electron diffraction indicate that the distribution of zinc atoms over the anatase structure does not lead to a considerable deformation of the crystal structure.