Probing Depth-Dependent Transition-Metal Redox of Lithium Nickel, Manganese, and Cobalt Oxides in Li-Ion Batteries

Layered lithium nickel, manganese, and cobalt oxides (NMC) are among the most promising commercial positive electrodes in the past decades. Understanding the detailed surface and bulk redox processes of Ni-rich NMC can provide useful insights into material design options to boost reversible capacity and cycle life. Both hard X-ray absorption (XAS) of metal K-edges and soft XAS of metal L-edges collected from charged LiNi_0.6Mn_0.2Co_0.2O₂ (NMC622) and LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ (NMC811) showed that the charge capacity up to removing ∼0.7 Li/f.u. was accompanied with Ni oxidation in bulk and near the surface (up to 100 nm). Of significance to note is that nickel oxidation is primarily responsible for the charge capacity of NMC622 and 811 up to similar lithium removal (∼0.7 Li/f.u.) albeit charged to different potentials, beyond which was followed by Ni reduction near the surface (up to 100 nm) due to oxygen release and electrolyte parasitic reactions. This observation points toward several new strategies to enhance reversible redox capacities of Ni-rich and/or Co-free electrodes for high-energy Li-ion batteries.

Lithium-enriched graphite anode surfaces investigated using nuclear reaction analysis

Non-destructive Li nuclear reaction analyses were used to profile the Li distribution at the surfaces of graphitic Li-ion battery anodes.

Correlating structure and transport behavior in Li+ and O2 containing pyrrolidinium ionic liquids

Using experiments and molecular simulations, we evaluate pyrrolidinium-based ionic liquid Li electrolytes and find that Li⁺ and O₂ transport can be enhanced by varying the pyrrolidinium structure and Li concentration.

Pt and Pd catalyzed oxidation of Li2O2 and DMSO during Li-O2 battery charging

Rechargeable Li-O2 and Li-air batteries require electrode and electrolyte materials that synergistically promote long-term cell operation. In this study, we investigate the role of noble metals Pt and Pd as catalysts in the Li-O2 oxidation process and their compatibility with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) based electrolytes. We identify a basis for low potential Li2O2 evolution followed by oxidative decomposition of the electrolyte to form carbonate side products.

Non-Faradaic Li+ Migration and Chemical Coordination across Solid-State Battery Interfaces

Efficient and reversible charge transfer is essential to realizing high-performance solid-state batteries. Efforts to enhance charge transfer at critical electrode-electrolyte interfaces have proven successful, yet interfacial chemistry and its impact on cell function remains poorly understood. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy combined with electrochemical techniques, we elucidate chemical coordination near the LiCoO₂-LIPON interface, providing experimental validation of space-charge separation. Space-charge layers, defined by local enrichment and depletion of charges, have previously been theorized and modeled, but the unique chemistry of solid-state battery interfaces is now revealed. Here we highlight the non-Faradaic migration of Li⁺ ions from the electrode to the electrolyte, which reduces reversible cathodic capacity by ∼15%. Inserting a thin, ion-conducting LiNbO₃ interlayer between the electrode and electrolyte, however, can reduce space-charge separation, mitigate the loss of Li⁺ from LiCoO₂, and return cathodic capacity to its theoretical value. This work illustrates the importance of interfacial chemistry in understanding and improving solid-state batteries.

Exploring a wider range of Mg-Ca-Zn metallic glass as biocompatible alloys using combinatorial sputtering

In order to bypass the limitation of bulk metallic glasses fabrication, we synthesized thin film metallic glasses to study the corrosion characteristics of a wide atomic% composition range, Mg(35.9-63%)Ca(4.1-21%)Zn(17.9-58.3%), in simulated body fluid. We highlight a clear relationship between Zn content and corrosion current such that Zn-medium metallic glasses exhibit minimum corrosion. In addition, we found higher Zn content leads to a poor in vitro cell viability. These results showcase the benefit of evaluating a larger alloy compositional space to probe the limits of corrosion resistance and prescreen for biocompatible applications.

Heme biomolecule as redox mediator and oxygen shuttle for efficient charging of lithium-oxygen batteries

One of the greatest challenges with lithium-oxygen batteries involves identifying catalysts that facilitate the growth and evolution of cathode species on an oxygen electrode. Heterogeneous solid catalysts cannot adequately address the problematic overpotentials when the surfaces become passivated. However, there exists a class of biomolecules which have been designed by nature to guide complex solution-based oxygen chemistries. Here, we show that the heme molecule, a common porphyrin cofactor in blood, can function as a soluble redox catalyst and oxygen shuttle for efficient oxygen evolution in non-aqueous Li-O2 batteries. The heme's oxygen binding capability facilitates battery recharge by accepting and releasing dissociated oxygen species while benefiting charge transfer with the cathode. We reveal the chemical change of heme redox molecules where synergy exists with the electrolyte species. This study brings focus to the rational design of solution-based catalysts and suggests a sustainable cross-link between biomolecules and advanced energy storage.

A New Design Strategy for Observing Lithium Oxide Growth-Evolution Interactions Using Geometric Catalyst Positioning

Understanding the catalyzed formation and evolution of lithium-oxide products in Li-O2 batteries is central to the development of next-generation energy storage technology. Catalytic sites, while effective in lowering reaction barriers, often become deactivated when placed on the surface of an oxygen electrode due to passivation by solid products. Here we investigate a mechanism for alleviating catalyst deactivation by dispersing Pd catalytic sites away from the oxygen electrode surface in a well-structured anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) porous membrane interlayer. We observe the cross-sectional product growth and evolution in Li-O2 cells by characterizing products that grow from the electrode surface. Morphological and structural details of the products in both catalyzed and uncatalyzed cells are investigated independently from the influence of the oxygen electrode. We find that the geometric decoration of catalysts far from the conductive electrode surface significantly improves the reaction reversibility by chemically facilitating the oxidation reaction through local coordination with PdO surfaces. The influence of the catalyst position on product composition is further verified by ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy in addition to morphological studies.

Guided Evolution of Bulk Metallic Glass Nanostructures: A Platform for Designing 3D Electrocatalytic Surfaces

Electrochemical devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, lithium-air batteries, and pseudocapacitors are expected to play a major role in energy conversion/storage in the near future. Here, it is demonstrated how desirable bulk metallic glass compositions can be obtained using a combinatorial approach and it is shown that these alloys can serve as a platform technology for a wide variety of electrochemical applications through several surface modification techniques.

Ultrathin Nanotube/Nanowire Electrodes by Spin-Spray Layer-by-Layer Assembly: A Concept for Transparent Energy Storage

Fully integrated transparent devices require versatile architectures for energy storage, yet typical battery electrodes are thick (20-100 μm) and composed of optically absorbent materials. Reducing the length scale of active materials, assembling them with a controllable method and minimizing electrode thickness should bring transparent batteries closer to reality. In this work, the rapid and controllable spin-spray layer-by-layer (SSLbL) method is used to generate high quality networks of 1D nanomaterials: single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) and vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) nanowires for anode and cathode electrodes, respectively. These ultrathin films, deposited with ∼2 nm/bilayer precision are transparent when deposited on a transparent substrate (>87% transmittance) and electrochemically active in Li-ion cells. SSLbL-assembled ultrathin SWNT anodes and V2O5 cathodes exhibit reversible lithiation capacities of 23 and 7 μAh/cm(2), respectively at a current density of 5 μA/cm(2). When these electrodes are combined in a full cell, they retain ∼5 μAh/cm(2) capacity over 100 cycles, equivalent to the prelithiation capacity of the limiting V2O5 cathode. The SSLbL technique employed here to generate functional thin films is uniquely suited to the generation of transparent electrodes and offers a compelling path to realize the potential of fully integrated transparent devices.

A mesoporous catalytic membrane architecture for lithium-oxygen battery systems

Controlling the mesoscale geometric configuration of catalysts on the oxygen electrode is an effective strategy to achieve high reversibility and efficiency in Li-O2 batteries. Here we introduce a new Li-O2 cell architecture that employs a catalytic polymer-based membrane between the oxygen electrode and the separator. The catalytic membrane was prepared by immobilization of Pd nanoparticles on a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber membrane and is adjacent to a carbon nanotube electrode loaded with Ru nanoparticles. During oxide product formation, the insulating PAN polymer scaffold restricts direct electron transfer to the Pd catalyst particles and prevents the direct blockage of Pd catalytic sites. The modified Li-O2 battery with a catalytic membrane showed a stable cyclability for 60 cycles with a capacity of 1000 mAh/g and a reduced degree of polarization (∼ 0.3 V) compared to cells without a catalytic membrane. We demonstrate the effects of a catalytic membrane on the reaction characteristics associated with morphological and structural features of the discharge products via detailed ex situ characterization.

Operando observation of the gold-electrolyte interface in Li-O2 batteries

Observing the cathode interface in Li-O2 batteries during cycling is necessary to improve our understanding of discharge product formation and evolution in practical cells. In this work a gold electrode surface is monitored by operando surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy during typical discharge and charge cycling. During discharge, we observe the precipitation of stable and reversible lithium superoxide (LiO2), in contrast to reports that suggest it is a mere intermediate in the formation of lithium peroxide (Li(2)O2). Some LiO2 is further reduced to Li(2)O2 producing a coating of insulating discharge products that renders the gold electrode inactive. Upon charging, a superficial layer of these species (∼ 1 nm) are preferentially oxidized at low overpotentials (<0.6 V), leaving residual products in poor contact with the electrode surface. In situ electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is also used to distinguish between LiO2 and Li(2)O2 products using frequency-dependent responses and to correlate their reduction and oxidation potentials to the accepted mechanism of Li(2)O2 formation. These operando and in situ studies of the oxygen electrode interface, coupled with ex situ characterization, illustrate that the composition of discharge products and their proximity to the catalytic surface are important factors in the reversibility of Li-O2 cells.

Improving the assembly speed, quality, and tunability of thin conductive multilayers

While inhomogeneous thin conductive films have been sought after for their flexibility, transparency, and strength, poor control in the processing of these materials has restricted their application. The versatile layer-by-layer assembly technique allows greater control over film deposition, but even this has been hampered by the traditional dip-coating method. Here, we employ a fully automated spin-spray layer-by-layer system (SSLbL) to rapidly produce high-quality, tunable multilayer films. With bilayer deposition cycle times as low as 13 s (~50% of previously reported) and thorough characterization of film conductance in the near percolation region, we show that SSLbL permits nanolevel control over film growth and efficient formation of a conducting network not available with other methods of multilayer deposition. The multitude of variables from spray time, to spin rate, to active drying available with SSLbL makes films generated by this technique inherently more tunable and expands the opportunity for optimization and application of composite multilayers. A comparison of several polymer-CNT systems deposited by both spin-spray and dip-coating exemplifies the potential of SSLbL assembly to allow for rapid screening of multilayer films. Ultrathin polymer-CNT multilayers assembled by SSLbL were also evaluated as lithium-ion battery electrodes, emphasizing the practical application of this technique.