Effect of Dy3+‐doping on Electrochemical Properties of LiFePO4/C Cathode for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

Dy doping and carbon coating are adopted to synthesize a LiFePO₄ cathode material in a simple solution environment. The samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Their electrochemical properties were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge‐discharge tests. An initial discharge capacity of 153 mAh/g was achieved for the LiDy_0.02Fe_0.98PO₄/C composite cathode with a rate of 0.1 C. In addition the electronic conductivity of Dy doped LiFePO₄/C was enhanced to 1.9 × 10^?2 Scm^?1. The results suggest that the improvement of the electrochemical properties are attributed to the dysprosium doping and carbon coating which facilitates the phase transformation between triphylite and heterosite during cycling. XRD data indicate that doping did not destroy the lattice structure of LiFePO₄. To evaluate the effect of Dy substitution, cyclic voltammetry was used at room temperature. prepared. From Cv measurement a more symmetric curve with smaller interval between the cathodic and anodic peak current was obtained by Dy substitution. This denoted a decreasing of polarization with Dy substitution, which illustrated an enhancement of electrochemical performances.     

Asymmetry between charge and discharge during high rate cycling in LiFePO4 – In Situ X-ray diffraction study

Asymmetric behavior of structural changes during charge and discharge of C-coated LiFePO₄ has been investigated using synchrotron based in situ XRD. C-coated LiFePO₄ undergoes phase transformation from triphylite to heterosite during charge and vise versa during discharge. However, it is observed that the phase transformation of C-coated Li_1−xFePO₄ during discharge is more difficult to be complete than that during charge. At 2C rate, the phase transformation from heterosite to triphylite was hardly observed during discharge while the complete phase transformation was observed in the previous charge. This indicates that the degree of the phase transformation completeness depends on the direction of the phase transformations.     

Mn Oxide‐Silver Composite Nanowires for Improved Thermal Stability,SERS and Electrical Conductivity

Redox transformation reaction between aqueous AgNO₃ and Mn(CH₃COO)₂ at low temperature (～80 °C) has been adopted for industrial‐scale production of uniform Ag–MnOOH composite nanowires for the first time. Varying amounts of incorporated Ag in the composite retain the 1D morphology of the composite. Nanowires upon annealing evolve Ag–MnO₂ nanocomposites, once again with the retention of the parental morphology. Just 4 % of silver incorporation in the composite demonstrates metal‐like conducting performance from the corresponding semiconducting material. Transition of MnO₂ to Mn₂O₃ to Mn₃O₄ takes place upon heat treatment in relation to successive increase in Ag concentrations in the nanowires. The composites offer resistance to the observed oxide transformation. This is evidenced from the progressive increase in transition temperature. In situ Raman, ex situ thermal and XRD analysis corroborate the fact. The composite with 12 % Ag offers resistance to the transformation of MnO₂, which is also verified from laser heating. Importantly, Ag nanoparticle incorporation is proved to offer a thermally stable and better surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) platform than the individual components. Both the Ag–MnOOH and Ag–MnO₂ nanocomposites with 8 atomic % Ag show the best SERS enhancement (enhancement factor ～10¹⁰). The observed enhancement relates to charge transfer as well as electromagnetic effects.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of LiFePO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C nanocomposites due to in situ formation of Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>P impurities

We have studied LiFePO₄/C nanocomposites prepared by sol-gel method using lauric acid as a surfactant and calcined at different temperatures between 600 and 900 °C. In addition to the major LiFePO₄ phase, all the samples show a varying amount of in situ Fe₂P impurity phase characterized by x-ray diffraction, magnetic measurements, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The amount of Fe₂P impurity phase increases with increasing calcination temperature. Of all the samples studied, the LiFePO₄/C sample calcined at 700 °C which contains ～15 wt% Fe₂P shows the least charge transfer resistance and a better electrochemical performance with a discharge capacity of 136 mA h g^?1 at a rate of 1 C, 121 mA h g^?1 at 10 C (～70 % of the theoretical capacity of LiFePO₄), and excellent cycleability. Although further increase in the amount of Fe₂P reduces the overall capacity, frequency-dependent Warburg impedance analyses show that all samples calcined at temperatures ≥700 °C have an order of magnitude higher Li⁺ diffusion coefficient (～1.3?×?10^?13 cm² s^?1) compared to the one calcined at 600 °C, as well as the values reported in literature. This work suggests that controlling the reduction environment and the temperature during the synthesis process can be used to optimize the amount of conducting Fe₂P for obtaining the best capacity for the high power batteries.     

用于可充锂电池的高倍率磷酸铁(II)锂正极材料

本文以聚氧化乙烯为碳源,用柠檬酸辅助湿化学法合成了高倍率的碳包覆的LiFePO₄。使用热重、粉末X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜、循环伏安、电化学阻抗和恒流充放电表征材料的结构和电化学性质。结果表明,该材料组成为5 wt%疏松多孔的碳包覆相纯度很高的小的LiFePO₄颗粒。该材料适用于高倍率充放电,在5 C、10 C和20C的放电倍率下可以分别得到120、90和60 mAh·g^-1的稳定容量。     

Core–Shell LiFePO4/Carbon‐Coated Reduced Graphene Oxide Hybrids for High‐Power Lithium‐Ion Battery Cathodes

Core‐shell carbon‐coated LiFePO₄ nanoparticles were hybridized with reduced graphene (rGO) for high‐power lithium‐ion battery cathodes. Spontaneous aggregation of hydrophobic graphene in aqueous solutions during the formation of composite materials was precluded by employing hydrophilic graphene oxide (GO) as starting templates. The fabrication of true nanoscale carbon‐coated LiFePO₄‐rGO (LFP/C‐rGO) hybrids were ascribed to three factors: 1) In‐situ polymerization of polypyrrole for constrained nanoparticle synthesis of LiFePO₄, 2) enhanced dispersion of conducting 2D networks endowed by colloidal stability of GO, and 3) intimate contact between active materials and rGO. The importance of conducting template dispersion was demonstrated by contrasting LFP/C‐rGO hybrids with LFP/C‐rGO composites in which agglomerated rGO solution was used as the starting templates. The fabricated hybrid cathodes showed superior rate capability and cyclability with rates from 0.1 to 60 C. This study demonstrated the synergistic combination of nanosizing with efficient conducting templates to afford facile Li⁺ ion and electron transport for high power applications.     

Particle size effects of carbon sources on electrochemical properties of LiFePO<Subscript>4</Subscript>/C composites

Carbon-coated LiFePO₄ cathode materials were prepared by a solid-state method incorporating different sizes of polystyrene (PS) spheres as carbon sources. In scanning electron microscope images, small PS spheres appear more effective at preventing aggregation of LiFePO₄ particles. From transmission electron microscopy images, it was found that the LiFePO₄ particles were completely uniformly coated with 5-nm carbon layer when the carbon source was 0.22 μm PS spheres. When the size of PS sphere was increased to 2.75 μm, a network of carbon was formed and wrapped around the LiFePO₄ to create a conductive web. Raman spectroscopy and four-point probe conductivity measurement showed that using larger sizes of PS spheres as carbon sources leads to greater conductivity of LiFePO₄/C. The LiFePO₄ precursor sintered with 0.22 μm PS spheres delivered an initial discharge capacity of 145 mAh g^?1 at a 0.2 C rate, but it only sustained 289 cycles at 80% capacity. When the diameter of PS spheres was increased to 2.75 μm, the discharge capacity of LiFePO₄/C decreased, but the cycle life reached 755 cycles, the highest number in this work probably due to the network formation of carbon wrapping around LiFePO₄ particles.     

Fluorine‐Doped Antiperovskite Electrolyte for All‐Solid‐State Lithium‐Ion Batteries

A fluorine‐doped antiperovskite Li‐ion conductor Li₂(OH)X (X=Cl, Br) is shown to be a promising candidate for a solid electrolyte in an all‐solid‐state Li‐ion rechargeable battery. Substitution of F^? for OH^? transforms orthorhombic Li₂OHCl to a room‐temperature cubic phase, which shows electrochemical stability to 9 V versus Li⁺/Li and two orders of magnitude higher Li‐ion conductivity than that of orthorhombic Li₂OHCl. An all‐solid‐state Li/LiFePO₄ with F‐doped Li₂OHCl as the solid electrolyte showed good cyclability and a high coulombic efficiency over 40 charge/discharge cycles.     

Enhancement of electrochemical properties of niobium‐doped LiFePO4/C synthesized by sol–gel method

LiFePO₄/C and LiFe_1–xNb _xPO₄/C composites were synthesized using a sol–gel method. The influence of niobium doping on the constitution, morphology, and electrochemical properties of the samples was studied in detail. X‐Ray diffraction patterns indicate that appropriate Nb doping does not alter seriously the structure of LiFePO₄. Electrochemical characterization of the electrodes showed that the Li‐ion batteries based on LiFe_1–xNb _xPO₄/C electrode exhibited better charge/discharge performance than those based on LiFePO₄/C. The LiFe_0.95Nb_0.05PO₄/C‐based cell had the specific capacity of 157, 121, and 85 mAh/g at 0.2, 2, and 5 C, respectively, in comparison with 126, 94, and 52 mAh/g for the LiFePO₄/C cell. The results show that the addition of niobium promotes the electrochemical performance of the materials especially at high charge/discharge rates of the battery.     

Base‐Free Non‐Noble‐Metal‐Catalyzed Hydrogen Generation from Formic Acid: Scope and Mechanistic Insights

The iron‐catalyzed dehydrogenation of formic acid has been studied both experimentally and mechanistically. The most active catalysts were generated in situ from cationic Fe^II/Fe^III precursors and tris[2‐(diphenylphosphino)ethyl]phosphine ( 1 , PP₃). In contrast to most known noble‐metal catalysts used for this transformation, no additional base was necessary. The activity of the iron catalyst depended highly on the solvent used, the presence of halide ions, the water content, and the ligand‐to‐metal ratio. The optimal catalytic performance was achieved by using [FeH(PP₃)]BF₄/PP₃ in propylene carbonate in the presence of traces of water. With the exception of fluoride, the presence of halide ions in solution inhibited the catalytic activity. IR, Raman, UV/Vis, and EXAFS/XANES analyses gave detailed insights into the mechanism of hydrogen generation from formic acid at low temperature, supported by DFT calculations. In situ transmission FTIR measurements revealed the formation of an active iron formate species by the band observed at 1543 cm^?1, which could be correlated with the evolution of gas. This active species was deactivated in the presence of chloride ions due to the formation of a chloro species (UV/Vis, Raman, IR, and XAS). In addition, XAS measurements demonstrated the importance of the solvent for the coordination of the PP₃ ligand.     

Identification of Key Reversible Intermediates in Self‐Reconstructed Nickel‐Based Hybrid Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been explored extensively for reliable hydrogen supply to boost the energy conversion efficiency. The superior OER performance of newly developed non‐noble metal electrocatalysts has concealed the identification of the real active species of the catalysts. Now, the critical active phase in nickel‐based materials (represented by NiNPS) was directly identified by observing the dynamic surface reconstruction during the harsh OER process via combining in situ Raman tracking and ex situ microscopy and spectroscopy analyses. The irreversible phase transformation from NiNPS to α‐Ni(OH)₂ and reversible phase transition between α‐Ni(OH)₂ and γ‐NiOOH prior to OER demonstrate γ‐NiOOH as the key active species for OER. The hybrid catalyst exhibits 48‐fold enhanced catalytic current at 300 mV and remarkably reduced Tafel slope to 46 mV dec^?1, indicating the greatly accelerated catalytic kinetics after surface evolution.     

微米橄榄石型LiFePO4的水热合成优化

为深入研究大颗粒磷酸铁锂(LiFePO₄)锂离子电池正极材料的性能衰退机理并据此改善其体积能量密度和功率密度, 进而切实推进该材料在电动汽车、混合动力汽车和电站储能等领域的高效广泛应用, 本文通过优化水热合成条件制备了粒径为2 μm的均匀微米LiFePO₄颗粒粉末. 在未经任何改性(包覆或掺杂)的情况下,该材料表现出本征大颗粒LiFePO₄典型的充放电和循环性能, 可作为后续研究的代表样品进一步考察大颗粒材料相对纳米材料性能衰退的机制和根本原因, 最终通过有的放矢地改性手段获得高密度、高能量和高功率的LiFePO₄ 正极材料. 实验结果表明, 增加反应物浓度、水热温度和保温时间以及降低溶液pH 值均有利于LiFePO₄颗粒的长大. 通过比较不同粒径的LiFePO₄的电化学性能确证了其随颗粒尺寸的增大而衰退. 当颗粒大小由0.7 μm增加到16.5 μm时, LiFePO₄在0.1C倍率下的放电比容量由152 mAh·g^-1下降至80 mAh·g^-1.同时, 1C倍率下的循环测试结果表明, 颗粒尺寸越大, LiFePO₄的容量衰减愈严重.     

Microwave‐Induced In Situ Synthesis of Zn2GeO4/N‐Doped Graphene Nanocomposites and Their Lithium‐Storage Properties

Zn₂GeO₄/N‐doped graphene nanocomposites have been synthesized through a fast microwave‐assisted route on a large scale. The resulting nanohybrids are comprised of Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods that are well‐embedded in N‐doped graphene sheets by in situ reducing and doping. Importantly, the N‐doped graphene sheets serve as elastic networks to disperse and electrically wire together the Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods, thereby effectively relieving the volume‐expansion/contraction and aggregation of the nanoparticles during charge and discharge processes. We demonstrate that an electrode that is made of the as‐formed Zn₂GeO₄/N‐doped graphene nanocomposite exhibits high capacity (1463 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 100 mA g^?1), good cyclability, and excellent rate capability (531 mAh g^?1 at a current density of 3200 mA g^?1). Its superior lithium‐storage performance could be related to a synergistic effect of the unique nanostructured hybrid, in which the Zn₂GeO₄ nanorods are well‐stabilized by the high electronic conduction and flexibility of N‐doped graphene sheets. This work offers an effective strategy for the fabrication of functionalized ternary‐oxide‐based composites as high‐performance electrode materials that involve structural conversion and transformation.     

Study of the Phase Transformation of Single Particles of Ga2O3 by UV‐Raman Spectroscopy and High‐Resolution TEM

By taking advantage of UV‐Raman spectroscopy and high‐resolution TEM (HRTEM), combined with the focused ion beam (FIB) technique, the transformation from GaOOH into α‐Ga₂O₃ and then into β‐Ga₂O₃ was followed. We found that the stepwise transformations took place from the surface region before developing into the bulk of single particles without particle agglomeration and growth. During the transformation from GaOOH into α‐Ga₂O₃, the elimination of water vapor through the dehydroxylation of GaOOH resulted in the formation of micropores in the single particles, whilst maintaining their particle size. For the phase transformation from α‐Ga₂O₃ into β‐Ga₂O₃, the nucleation of β‐Ga₂O₃ was found to occur at the surface defects and this process could be retarded by occupying these defects with a small amount of La₂O₃. By finely controlling the process of the phase transformation, the β‐Ga₂O₃ domains gradually developed from the surface into the bulk of the single particles without particle agglomeration. Therefore, the surface structure of the α‐Ga₂O₃ single particles can be easily tuned and a particle with an α@β core–shell phase structure has been obtained.     

Electrochemical Phase Evolution of Metal‐Based Pre‐Catalysts for High‐Rate Polysulfide Conversion

In situ evolution of electrocatalysts is of paramount importance in defining catalytic reactions. Catalysts for aprotic electrochemistry such as lithium–sulfur (Li‐S) batteries are the cornerstone to enhance intrinsically sluggish reaction kinetics but the true active phases are often controversial. Herein, we reveal the electrochemical phase evolution of metal‐based pre‐catalysts (Co₄N) in working Li‐S batteries that renders highly active electrocatalysts (CoS_x). Electrochemical cycling induces the transformation from single‐crystalline Co₄N to polycrystalline CoS_x that are rich in active sites. This transformation propels all‐phase polysulfide‐involving reactions. Consequently, Co₄N enables stable operation of high‐rate (10 C, 16.7 mA cm^?2) and electrolyte‐starved (4.7 μL mg_S^?1) Li‐S batteries. The general concept of electrochemically induced sulfurization is verified by thermodynamic energetics for most of low‐valence metal compounds.     

Synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical performance of LiFePO4/C cathode materials for lithium ion batteries using various carbon sources: best results by using polystyrene nano-spheres

Olivine LiFePO₄/C cathode materials for lithium ion batteries were synthesized using monodisperse polystyrene (PS) nano-spheres and other carbon sources. The structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of LiFePO₄/C were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), galvanostatic charge–discharge tests, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, and Raman spectroscopy measurements. The results demonstrated that LiFePO₄/C materials have an ordered olivine-type structure with small particle sizes. Electrochemical analyses showed that the LiFePO₄/C cathode material synthesized from 7 wt.% PS nano-spheres delivers an initial discharge capacity of 167 mAh g^-1 (very close to the theoretical capacity of 170 mAh g^-1) at 0.1 C rate cycled between 2.5 and 4.1 V with excellent capacity retention after 50 cycles. According to Raman spectroscopy and EIS analysis, this composite had a lower I _D/I _G, sp ³/sp ² peak ratio, charge transfer resistance, and a higher exchange current density, indicating an improved electrochemical performance, due to the increased proportion of graphite-like carbon formed during pyrolysis of PS nano-spheres, containing functionalized aromatic groups.     

Watching Nanoparticles Form: An In Situ (Small‐/Wide‐Angle X‐ray Scattering/Total Scattering) Study of the Growth of Yttria‐Stabilised Zirconia in Supercritical Fluids

Understanding nanoparticle‐formation reactions requires multi‐technique in situ characterisation, since no single characterisation technique provides adequate information. Here, the first combined small‐angle X‐ray scattering (SAXS)/wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS)/total‐scattering study of nanoparticle formation is presented. We report on the formation and growth of yttria‐stabilised zirconia (YSZ) under the extreme conditions of supercritical methanol for particles with Y₂O₃ equivalent molar fractions of 0, 4, 8, 12 and 25 %. Simultaneous in situ SAXS and WAXS reveals a quick formation (seconds) of sub‐nanometre amorphous material forming larger agglomerates with subsequent slow crystallisation (minutes) into nanocrystallites. The amount of yttria dopant is shown to strongly affect the crystallite size and unit‐cell dimensions. At yttria‐doping levels larger than 8 %, which is known to be the stoichiometry with maximum ionic conductivity, the strain on the crystal lattice is significantly increased. Time‐resolved nanoparticle size distributions are calculated based on whole‐powder‐pattern modelling of the WAXS data, which reveals that concurrent with increasing average particle sizes, a broadening of the particle‐size distributions occur. In situ total scattering provides structural insight into the sub‐nanometre amorphous phase prior to crystallite growth, and the data reveal an atomic rearrangement from six‐coordinated zirconium atoms in the initial amorphous clusters to eight‐coordinated zirconia atoms in stable crystallites. Representative samples prepared ex situ and investigated by transmission electron microscopy confirm a transformation from an amorphous material to crystalline nanoparticles upon increased synthesis duration.     

Eliminating Voltage Decay of Lithium‐Rich Li1.14Mn0.54Ni0.14Co0.14O2 Cathodes by Controlling the Electrochemical Process

A lithium‐rich cathode material Li_1.14Mn_0.54Ni_0.14Co_0.14O₂ (LNMCO) is prepared by a co‐precipitation method. The issue of voltage decay in long‐term cycling is largely eliminated by control of the charge–discharge voltage range. The LNMCO material exhibits 9.8 % decay in discharge voltage over 200 cycles between 2.0–4.6 V, during which the working voltage decays significantly, from 3.57 V to 3.22 V. The decay was decelerated by a factor of six by using a voltage window of 2.0–4.4 V, from 3.53 V to 3.47 V. IR and Raman spectra reveal that the transformation of layered structure to spinel is significantly retarded under 2.0–4.4 V cycling conditions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was also applied for examining phase change in an individual particle during cycling, showing that the spinel phase occurs both at 2.0–4.6 V and at 2.0–4.4 V, but is not dominant in the latter. Normalization of Li can remove the additional impact on the voltage decay which is brought by different amounts of Li intercalation. The mechanism of no voltage decay at 2.0–4.4 V cycling is raised and electrochemical impedance spectrum data also support the hypothesis.     

Enhanced electrochemical performance of LiFePO4 of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries synthesized by surfactant-assisted solvothermal method

Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄) cathode materials were synthesized by the solvothermal method with the assistance of different surfactants. The influences of polyethylene glycol 2000 (PEG 2000), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) on the microstructure and electrochemical performance of LiFePO₄ were investigated by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and charge/discharge measurements. The particle size of the LiFePO₄ synthesized with the assistance of PEG was uniform and showed a flat rhombohedron-like shape. The initial discharge specific capacity is up to 122.80 mAh/g with an initial coulombic efficiency of 95.50% at 0.1C. LiFePO₄ synthesized with PVP-assisted presents a porous structure with an initial discharge specific capacity of 91.01 mAh/g. LiFePO₄ synthesized with CTAB-assisted shows a flower-like morphology with an initial discharge specific capacity of 100.44 mAh/g. Though the initial discharge capacities of the LiFePO₄ materials prepared with the assistance of CTAB and PVP are lower than those of the LiFePO₄ prepared without the assistance of surfactant, the two materials exhibited excellent cyclic stability at 0.1C.

     

流变相法制备倍率性能优异的LiFePO4/C复合材料

以月桂酸为碳源和表面活性剂,氢氧化锂、碳酸锂和醋酸锂为锂源,采用流变相法制备LiFePO4/C复合材料。运用X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、粒度分析、恒流充放电测试、循环伏安以及交流阻抗测试等方法对复合材料进行表征。结果表明,不同的锂源对LiFePO4/C复合材料的结构和电化学性能均有很大影响,以氢氧化锂为锂源合成的LiFePO4/C材料展示出最佳的循环性能和倍率性能。该材料在0.1C下放电比容量为153.4 mAh.g-1,在大倍率10 C下,容量保持率仍可达76%,甚至10C下循环800次后,容量衰减率仅有4%,SEM结果显示该材料具有较小的粒径(～200 nm),且分布集中,有效提高了电子迁移速率,从而改进了LiFePO4/C的倍率性能。