Molecular Insights into the Structure and Dynamics of Protic Organic Ionic Plastic Crystal (OIPC) 1,7-Diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene ([DBUH])-bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide ([FSI]).

In recent years, organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) have emerged as promising materials for various applications due to their unique properties, such as high ionic conductivity and high melting temperatures. The macroscopic properties of OIPCs are closely related to their molecular structure, and a deep understanding of the molecular level behavior and the associated thermo-physical properties is necessary to determine their potential application as solid electrolytes for all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs). It was shown that both [DBUH] and [FSI]-based OIPCs behave as good ionic conductors.

Transport Properties and Local Ions Dynamics in LATP-Based Hybrid Solid Electrolytes.

Hybrid solid electrolytes (HSEs), namely mixtures of polymer and inorganic electrolytes, have supposedly improved properties with respect to inorganic and polymer electrolytes. In practice, HSEs often show ionic conductivity below expectations, as the high interface resistance limits the contribution of inorganic electrolyte particles to the charge transport process. In this study, the transport properties of a series of HSEs containing Li Al Ti (PO ) (LATP) as Li -conducting filler are analyzed.

Achieving High Stability and Performance in P2-Type Mn-Based Layered Oxides with Tetravalent Cations for Sodium-Ion Batteries.

P2-type sodium-manganese-based layered cathodes, owing to their high capacity from both cationic and anionic redox, are a potential candidate for Na-ion batteries (NIBs) to replace Li-ion technology in certain applications. Still, the structure instability originating from irreversible oxygen redox at high voltage remains a challenge. Here, a high sustainability cobalt-free P2-Na Mn Li X O (X = Ti/Si) cathode is developed.

Photoactive nanomaterials enabled integrated photo-rechargeable batteries.

The research interest in energy storage systems ( batteries and capacitors) has been increasing over the last years. The rising need for electricity storage and overcoming the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources have been potent drivers of this increase. Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy source.

Unveiling the Cation Exchange Reaction between the NASICON LiAlGe(PO) Solid Electrolyte and the pyr13TFSI Ionic Liquid.

Recently, the formation of the ceramic-ionic liquid composite has attracted huge interest in the scientific community. In this work, we investigated the chemical reactions occurring between NASICON LAGP ceramic electrolyte and ionic liquid pyr13TFSI. This study allowed us to identify the cation exchange reaction pyr13-Li occurring on the LAGP surface, forming a LiTFSI salt that was detected by the nuclear magnetic resonance analysis.

Highly Active and Durable Single-Atom Tungsten-Doped NiS Se Nanosheet @ NiS Se Nanorod Heterostructures for Water Splitting.

Developing robust and highly active non-precious electrocatalysts for the hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) is crucial for the industrialization of hydrogen energy. In this study, a highly active and durable single-atom W-doped NiS Se nanosheet @ NiS Se nanorod heterostructure (W-NiS Se ) electrocatalyst is prepared. W-NiS Se exhibits excellent catalytic activity for the HER and OER with ultralow overpotentials (39 and 106 mV for the HER and 171 and 239 mV for the OER at 10 and 100 mA cm , respectively) and excellent long-term durability (500 h), outperforming commercial precious-metal catalysts and many other previously reported transition-metal-based compounds (TMCs).

Thermal evolution of NASICON type solid-state electrolytes with lithium at high temperature scanning electron microscopy.

We present the thermal evolution of two NASICON-type ceramics namely LATP (LiAlTi(PO)) and LAGP (LiAlGe(PO)) by monitoring the electrode-electrolyte interfaces (, Li/LATP and Li/LAGP) at temperatures up to 330 °C scanning electron microscopy, post-mortem energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Upon melting of Li and contacting electrolytes, LAGP decomposes completely to form Li based alloys, while LATP is partially decomposed without alloying.

The Unusual Conductivity of Na in PEO-Based Statistical Copolymer Solid Electrolytes: When Less Means More.

The low conductivity of Na electrolytes in solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) curtails the development of Na polymer batteries. In this study, NaClO (3-24 wt %, 90-9:1 O:Na) is dissolved in statistical copolymers of ethylene oxide (EO) and propylene oxide (PO) (0-20 mol %). Remarkably, the conductivity of these SPEs increases as the concentration of Na decreases, thus departing from the usual Nernstian behavior.

Pillar-beam structures prevent layered cathode materials from destructive phase transitions.

Energy storage with high energy density and low cost has been the subject of a decades-long pursuit. Sodium-ion batteries are well expected because they utilize abundant resources. However, the lack of competent cathodes with both large capacities and long cycle lives prevents the commercialization of sodium-ion batteries.

On high-temperature evolution of passivation layer in Li-10 wt % Mg alloy via in situ SEM-EBSD.

Li-10 wt % Mg alloy (Li-10 Mg) is used as an anode material for a solid-state battery with excellent electrochemical performance and no evidence of dendrite formation during cycling. Thermal treatment of Li metal during manufacturing improves the interfacial contact between a Li metal electrode and solid electrolyte to achieve an all solid-state battery with increased performance. To understand the properties of the alloy passivation layer, this paper presents the first direct observation of its evolution at elevated temperatures (up to 325°C) by in situ scanning electron microscopy.

Direct observation of lithium metal dendrites with ceramic solid electrolyte.

Dendrite formation, which could cause a battery short circuit, occurs in batteries that contain lithium metal anodes. In order to suppress dendrite growth, the use of electrolytes with a high shear modulus is suggested as an ionic conductive separator in batteries. One promising candidate for this application is LiLaZrO (LLZO) because it has excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability.

Core hole screened electron energy loss calculations of beam damaged lithium fluoride.

A method of calculating the magnitude of the core hole screening of lithium materials is implemented for the simulation of Energy Loss Near Edge Structure (ELNES). ELNES is calculated for a range of lithium materials resulting in improved agreement between calculation and experiment. The technique uses linear response theory to relate the electron density to the core hole shielding contribution from the valence electrons in a crystal.

High-Voltage Lithium-Ion Battery Using Substituted LiCoPO: Electrochemical and Safety Performance of 1.2 Ah Pouch Cell.

A LiCoPO-based high-voltage lithium-ion battery was fabricated in the format of a 1.2 Ah pouch cell that exhibited a highly stable cycle life at a cut-off voltage of 4.9 V.

Synthesis and Performance of MOF-Based Non-Noble Metal Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Proton-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: A Review.

Hydrogen is widely regarded as a prime energy carrier for bridging the gap between renewable energy supply and demand. As the energy-generating component of the hydrogen cycle, affordable and reliable fuel cells are of key importance to the growth of the hydrogen economy. However, the use of scarce and costly Pt as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains an issue to be addressed, and in this regard, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are viewed as promising non-noble alternatives because of their self-assembly capability and tunable properties.

Phase Transformation of Doped LiCoPO during Galvanostatic Cycling.

In situ X-ray diffraction was employed to investigate the crystal structure changes in Cr/Si co-doped Li(Co,Fe)PO cathode material during a galvanostatic charge/discharge process at a slow rate of C/30. The evolution of the X-ray patterns revealed that the phase transformation between the Cr/Si-Li(Co,Fe)PO and Cr/Si-(Co,Fe)PO is a two-step process, which involves the formation of an intermediate compound of Cr/Si-Li(Co,Fe)PO upon the extraction of Li ions from the pristine phase. Different from the previously reported two biphasic transition steps, the phase transformation of the Cr/Si-Li(Co,Fe)PO followed a solid solution and a biphasic reaction pathway at different stages of the delithiation/lithiation process, respectively.

Lattice-Strain Engineering of Homogeneous NiS Se Core-Shell Nanostructure as a Highly Efficient and Robust Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting.

Developing highly-efficient non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for water splitting is crucial for the development of clean and reversible hydrogen energy. Introducing lattice strain is an effective strategy to develop efficient electrocatalysts. However, lattice strain is typically co-created with heterostructure, vacancy, or substrate effects, which complicate the identification of the strain-activity correlation.

Facile formulation and fabrication of the cathode using a self-lithiated carbon for all-solid-state batteries.

We propose a innovative concept to boost the electrochemical performance of cathode composite electrodes using surface-modified carbons with hydrophilic moieties to increase their dispersion in a Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (NMC) cathode and in-situ generate Li-rich carbon surfaces. Using a rapid aqueous process, the hydrophilic carbon is effectively dispersed in NMC particles followed by the conversion of its acid surface groups (e.g.

Novel polymer coating for chemically absorbing CO for safe Li-ion battery.

Gas evolution in Li-ion batteries remains a barrier for the implementation of high voltage materials in a pouch cell format; the inflation of the pouch cell is a safety issue that can cause battery failure. In particular, for manganese-based materials employed for fabricating cathodes, the dissolution of Mn in the electrolyte can accelerate cell degradation, and subsequently gas evolution, of which carbon dioxide (CO) is a major component. We report on the utilization of a mixture of polymers that can chemically absorb the CO, including the coating of aluminum foils, which serve as trapping sheets, introduced into two Ah pouch cells-based on a LiMnFePO (cathode) and a LiTiO (anode).

Comprehensive Review of Polymer Architecture for All-Solid-State Lithium Rechargeable Batteries.

Solid-state batteries are an emerging option for next-generation traction batteries because they are safe and have a high energy density. Accordingly, in polymer research, one of the main goals is to achieve solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) that could be facilely fabricated into any preferred size of thin films with high ionic conductivity as well as favorable mechanical properties. In particular, in the past two decades, many polymer materials of various structures have been applied to improve the performance of SPEs.

The Impact of Chemical Bonding on Mass Absorption Coefficients of Soft X-rays.

Accurate elemental quantification of materials by X-ray detection techniques in electron microscopes or microprobes can only be carried out if the appropriate mass absorption coefficients (MACs) are known. With continuous advancements in experimental techniques, databases of MACs must be expanded in order to account for new detection limits. Soft X-ray emission spectroscopy (SXES) is a characterization technique that can detect emitted X-rays whose energies are in the range of 10 eV to 2 keV by using a varied-line-spaced grating.

Toward Low-Cost All-Organic and Biodegradable Li-Ion Batteries.

This work presents an alternative method for fabricating Li-ion electrodes in which the use of aluminum/copper current collectors and expensive binders is avoided. Low-cost natural cellulose fibers with a 2-mm length are employed as binder and support for the electrode. The objective of this method is to eliminate the use of heavy and inactive current collector foils as substrates and to replace conventional costly binders with cellulose fibers.

Progress and Status of Hydrometallurgical and Direct Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond.

An exponential market growth of Li-ion batteries (LIBs) has been observed in the past 20 years; approximately 670,000 tons of LIBs have been sold in 2017 alone. This trend will continue owing to the growing interest of consumers for electric vehicles, recent engagement of car manufacturers to produce them, recent developments in energy storage facilities, and commitment of governments for the electrification of transportation. Although some limited recycling processes were developed earlier after the commercialization of LIBs, these are inadequate in the context of sustainable development.

Behavior of Solid Electrolyte in Li-Polymer Battery with NMC Cathode via in-Situ Scanning Electron Microscopy.

We present the first results of in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of an all-solid Li battery with a nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide (NMC-622) cathode at 50 °C and an operating voltage of 2.7-4.3 V.