Electrical properties of LiBSe ternary system

Amorphous products were obtained in the LiBSe ternary system by quenching melts of Li₂Se, B and Se mixture prepared at 100°C in sealed silica tubes. The vitreous region was slightly lower selenium composition than that of the Li₂SeB₂Se₃ tie-line. The amorphous products were lithium ionic conductors and most of them showed contributions to their total conductivity. The amorphous product of composition Li₂₅B₃₆Se₃₉ has the least electronic contribution to its total conductivity of 6.0 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm at room temperature. A new crystalline compound and crystalline LiBH₄ were also obtained in LiBSe ternary. Both of them were lithium ionic conductors having conductivities of about 1 × 10⁻⁶ S/cm at room temperature.     

Metal oxide anodes for Li-ion batteries

Recently metal oxides, especially tin oxides, have been investigated as negative electrodes in Li-ion batteries. Different compounds such as amorphous SnO₂, SnO and SnSiO₃ have been electrochemically cycled versus a metallic lithium electrode. In this study, the reversible capacities as well as the cycling behavior of crystalline SnO₂ thin films and powders have been investigated. SnO₂ powder exhibits a reversible capacity as high as 600 mAh/g over more than 50 cycles versus a metallic lithium electrode. Based on these results, we give clues for the future investigations of metal oxides as anodes in lithium ion batteries and discuss what can be the expected capacities of such negative electrodes. Paper presented at the 4th Euroconference on Solid State Ionics, Renvyle, Galway, Ireland, Sept. 13–19, 1997     

New prospects in studying Li diffusion—two-time stimulated echo NMR of spin-3/2 nuclei

The measurement of diffusion parameters like activation energies and translational jump rates of small cations plays a key role in materials science. Especially the in-depth investigation of Li diffusion in ionic conductors is of great interest, because suitable ionic conductors are needed for, e.g., the development of new secondary ion battery systems. As the standard tracer method is not applicable to study Li diffusion due to the lack of a suitable radioactive isotope, Li diffusion is alternatively probed by solid state NMR techniques. With the different NMR methods being available, diffusion processes can be studied on different length- and timescales. In the present paper we use two-time spin-alignment echo (SAE) NMR for the direct, i.e., model independent, measurement of extremely small translational Li jump rates. To this end, different crystalline and glassy ion conductors like Li_xTiS₂, Li₄SiO₄ as well as LiNbO₃ served as model substances to reveal the special features of this technique. SAE-NMR, which was originally developed for deuterons, has also been applied in a few cases to spin-3/2 nuclei, like ⁷Li, before. The corresponding correlation functions yield not only information about diffusion parameters but also about geometric properties of the diffusion pathways, making SAE-NMR a powerful method which complements well-established NMR techniques.     

硼酸锂系列晶体的高压拉曼散射研究

本文进行了硼酸锂系列晶体的高压拉曼散射及其压致相变的研究。对于三硼酸锂（ＬｉＢ３Ｏ５），我们发现在５．０ＧＰａ有一可逆的晶态到晶态的相变，在２７．０ＧＰａ有一不可逆的晶态到非晶态的相变。二硼酸锂（Ｌｉ２Ｂ４Ｏ７）不可逆压致非晶相变发生在３２．０ＧＰａ附近。对于一硼酸锂，我们研究了０—５５．８ＧＰａ范围内的高压拉曼光谱，只在２．０ＧＰａ发现了一个晶态到晶态的相变，但未发现不可逆压致非晶化现象。在硼酸锂系列晶体中，不可逆压致非晶化的压力随Ｌｉ２Ｏ的含量的增加而升高。硼酸锂晶体中Ｌｉ２Ｏ的含量越高，压致非晶化越不容易发生，这与熔体急冷法制备硼酸锂玻璃的规律是一致的。     

Solid state lithium ion conductors: Design considerations by thermodynamic approach

The most common previously employed methods of designing useful solid state lithium ion conductors (SSLICs) are reviewed and a new approach for the rational design of advanced SSLICs is described, which makes use of thermodynamic considerations. The described method is based on the Gibbs energy of formation of binary compounds of substitutional or additional cations (including dopants) and is demonstrated by the improvement of the lithium ion conductivity of SSLICs having perovskite-, NASICON- and Li₄SiO₄-type structures. Dopant metal oxides with higher negative Gibbs energies of formation than that of the parent metal oxide increase commonly the lithium ion conduction. The stronger binding forces of the oxide ion with the dopant cation result in an electrostatic shielding of the attractive forces between the lithium ions and the anions which facilitates the ionic motion. Irrespective of the crystal structure, it is expected that this thermodynamic rule holds also for other mobile ionic species. Paper presented at the 8th Euroconference on Ionics, Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal, Sept. 16–22, 2001.     

Recent progress in solid oxide and lithium ion conducting electrolytes research

Recent material developments of fast solid oxide and lithium ion conductors are reviewed. Special emphasis is placed on the correlation between the composition, structure, and electrical transport properties of perovskite-type, perovskite-related, and other inorganic crystalline materials in terms of the required functional properties for practical applications, such as fuel or hydrolysis cells and batteries. The discussed materials include Sr- and Mg-doped LaGaO₃, Ba₂In₂O₅, Bi₄V₂O₁₁, RE-doped CeO₂, (Li,La,)TiO₃, Li₃La₃La₃Nb₂O₁₂ (M=Nb, Ta), and Na super-ionic conductor-type phosphate. Critical problems with regard to the development of practically useful devices are discussed.     

Real-time measurement of stress and damage evolution during initial lithiation of crystalline silicon

Crystalline to amorphous phase transformation during initial lithiation in (100) Si wafers is studied in an electrochemical cell with Li metal as the counter and reference electrode. During initial lithiation, a moving phase boundary advances into the wafer starting from the surface facing the lithium electrode, transforming crystalline Si into amorphous Li(x)Si. The resulting biaxial compressive stress in the amorphous layer is measured in situ, and it was observed to be ca. 0.5 GPa. High-resolution TEM images reveal a very sharp crystalline-amorphous phase boundary, with a thickness of ～1 nm. Upon delithiation, the stress rapidly reverses and becomes tensile, and the amorphous layer begins to deform plastically at around 0.5 GPa. With continued delithiation, the yield stress increases in magnitude, culminating in a sudden fracture of the amorphous layer into microfragments, and the cracks extend into the underlying crystalline Si.     

Decomposition mechanisms of some lithium ionic conductors

The decomposition reactions of some lithium ionic conductors are investigated. With many ternary lithium oxides as e.g. LiREO₂ (RE: rare-earth metal) or Li₃InO₃, hydrolysis in air is observed. The very steep increase in conductivity at temperatures of ≈380°C is due to the presence of impurities at the surface of the grains. These impurities are generated by hydrolysis. An investigation of the stability of LiAlO phases against molten lithium showed that all these compounds except Li₅AlO₄ exhibited a severe reaction with the molten alkali metal. LiAl may be identified as a reaction product.     

锗酸盐晶体压致非晶化的研究

高压拉曼散射研究表明．ＣｕＧｅＯ３，Ｌｉ２ＧｅＯ３和Ｌｉ６Ｇｅ２Ｏ７三种晶体分别在７，１２和１１ＧＰａ压力下转变为非晶。在高于起始转变压力以上一定范围压致非晶是可逆的，ＣｕＧｅＯ３，Ｌｉ２ＧｅＯ３和Ｌｉ６Ｇｅ２Ｏ７压致非晶的不可逆转变压力分别为１４．１，２０和２０ＧＰａ。压致非晶ＣｕＧｅＯ３的重新晶化温度在６００℃附近。锗酸及系列晶体的压致非晶化与它们的成份和结构有关，随着在这一系列晶体中Ｌｉ２Ｏ含量的增加，压致非晶化的压力趋于减小。     

Theoretical study of the diffusion of lithium in crystalline and amorphous silicon

The effect of the lattice deformation on potential barriers for the motion of a lithium atom in crystalline silicon has been studied through ab initio density functional calculations. A new universal method of calculating the diffusion coefficient of an admixture in amorphous solid media through the activation mechanism has been proposed on the basis of these data. The method is based on the calculation of the statistical distribution of potential barriers for the motion of an admixture atom between minima depending on the position of neighboring atoms. First, the amorphous structure, which is generated by annealing from the crystalline structure with vacancies, has been simulated. Then, the statistical distribution of the potential barriers in the amorphous structure for various local environments of the admixture atoms has been calculated by means of linear regression with the parameters determined for barriers in crystalline silicon subjected to different deformations. The diffusion coefficient of the admixture has been calculated from this distribution by using the Arrhenius formula. This method has been tested by the example of crystalline and amorphous silicon with admixture of lithium atoms. The method demonstrates that the diffusion of lithium in amorphous silicon is much faster than that in crystalline silicon; this relation is confirmed experimentally.     

6,7Li NMR study of ion mobility on the molecular scale in lithated imidazole complexes

Two model compounds, lithium imidazolium (LiIm) and lithium 2-undecylimidazolium (und-LiIm), were synthesized. These materials are chosen as models of potential lithium ion conductors for use as electrolytes in lithium batteries. Solid-state NMR was used to provide information on the microscopic interactions including ionic mobility and ring reorientations which govern the efficiency of conductivity. Lithium imidazolium was mixed with lithium methylsulfonate, generating a doped complex in which a doubly lithiated imidazole ring was inferred based on the ⁷Li NMR chemical shifts. Our research includes ^6,7Li variable temperature MAS NMR experiments at intermediate spinning speeds, relaxation studies to determine spin-lattice relaxation times (T₁) of lithium ion hopping, and 2D exchange spectroscopy to determine possible chemical exchange processes. The possibility of 2-site ring reorientation for the doubly lithiated imidazole ring was supported by exchange spectroscopy. Comparisons of spin-lattice relaxation times and corresponding activation energies of the lithium imidazolium and the doped complex point to a higher degree of mobility in the latter.Lithium 2-undecylimidazolium was prepared and exhibited a lower melting point than the parent lithium imidazolium, as expected. This small molecule was chosen as representative of a side-chain functionalized polyethylene-based material. ⁷Li MAS spectra show mainly the presence of the doubly lithiated imidazole ring in pure und-LiIm, and in the LiCH₃SO₃–und-LiIm mixture. The data clearly indicate local mobility of the lithium ions in the materials.     

High‐Capacity Anode Materials for Lithium‐Ion Batteries: Choice of Elements and Structures for Active Particles

Growing market demand for portable energy storage has triggered significant research on high‐capacity lithium‐ion (Li‐ion) battery anodes. Various elements have been utilized in innovative structures to enable these anodes, which can potentially increase the energy density and decrease the cost of Li‐ion batteries. In this review, electrode and material parameters are considered in anode fabrication. The periodic table is then used to explore how the choice of anode material affects rate performance, cycle stability, Li‐ion insertion/extraction potentials, voltage hysteresis, volumetric and specific capacities, and other critical parameters. Silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and tin (Sn) anodes receive more attention in literature and in this review, but other elements, such as antimony (Sb), lead (Pb), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), bismuth (Bi), and zinc (Zn) are also discussed. Among conversion anodes focus is placed on oxides, nitrides, phosphides, and hydrides. Nanostructured carbon (C) receives separate consideration. Issues in high‐ capacity research, such as volume change, insufficient coulombic efficiency, and solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer stability are elucidated. Finally, advanced carbon composites utilizing carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene, and size preserving external shells are discussed, including high mass loading (thick) electrodes and electrodes capable of providing load‐bearing properties.     

Li ion conduction in Li2ZrO3, Li4ZrO4, and LiScO2

The results of ac and dc conductivity measurements on Li₂ZrO₃, Li₄ZrO₄, and LiScO₂ show that these phases are Li ion conductors. Even though the Li ion conductivity in these phases is quite low, 3.3×10^?5, 3.0×10^?4, and 4.2×10^?7 S m^?1 at 573 K, respectively, they are of special interest since they are among the small group of ternary oxides which may be thermodynamically stable against Li. Mechanisms are proposed for the decomposition of these phases at the anode due to Li loss during dc polarization. In addition the electrical conductivity of ternary oxide phases which are, or may be, thermodynamically stable against Li are summarized.     

Ab initio nonequilibrium molecular dynamics in the solid superionic conductor LiBH4

The color-diffusion algorithm is applied to ab initio molecular dynamics simulation of hexagonal LiBH(4) to determine the lithium diffusion coefficient and diffusion mechanisms. Even in the best solid lithium ion conductors, the time scale of ion diffusion is too long to be readily accessible by ab initio molecular dynamics at a reasonable computational cost. In our nonequilibrium method, rare events are accelerated by the application of an artificial external field acting on the mobile species; the system response to this perturbation is accurately described in the framework of linear response theory and is directly related to the diffusion coefficient, thus resulting in a controllable approximation. The calculated lithium ionic conductivity of LiBH(4) closely matches published measurements, and the diffusion mechanism can be elucidated directly from the generated trajectory.     

Solid electrolytes with oxygen ion conduction

Oxygen ion conductors constitute an important class of solid electrolytes and have been extensively studied from scientific and technological standpoint. Most of the oxygen ion conductors (eg. those based on ZrO₂, ThO₂, CeO₂ and Bi₂O₃) have a perfect or distorted fluorite type structure. Some oxides with a perovskite type structure also exhibit oxygen ion conduction. All these materials show enhanced conductivity when doped with aliovalent impurities. The defect structure of these materials and the resulting transport properties (electrical conductivity, diffusion and transference number) are discussed as a function of temperature, oxygen partial pressure and composition. Some of the important measurement methods are briefly surveyed. Interface phenomena receive attention as they affect transport behaviour at the electrode - electrolyte combination. Defect interactions in these massively defective solids are presented through an analysis of theoretical models. Finally, some of the important applications of the oxygen ion conductors in fuel cells, oxygen probes and pumps and electrochemical decomposition of water are indicated.     

固态电解质锂镧锆氧(Li_7La_3Zr_2O_(12))制备及第一性原理研究

固态电解质(SSE)是锂离子电池(LIB)的关键材料.Li_7La_3Zr_2O_(12)(LLZO)固体电解质是全固态锂离子电池开发中的关键部分.采用高温固相法制备了不同烧结温度后的四方Li_7La_3Zr_2O_(12)(t-LLZO)和立方Li_7La_3Zr_2O_(12)(c-LLZO),分析了两种样品的结构性能.800℃下烧结12小时的t-LLZO呈四方相,晶格尺寸为a=b=13.13064?,c=12.66024?,离子电导率为3.42×10~(-8)S·cm~(-1);1000℃下烧结12小时的c-LLZO呈立方相,晶格尺寸为a=b=c=13.03544?,离子电导率为8.48×10~(-5)S·cm~(-1).另基于密度泛函理论(DFT)的第一性原理计算了四方相和立方相的LLZO固体电解质材料的能带结构、晶格参数、态密度和键布居.通过理论计算解释了四方相LLZO离子电导率低于立方相LLZO的原因.     

Electrochemical behavior of hydrated molybdenum oxides in rechargeable lithium batteries

Oxide-hydrates of molybdenum (OHM) are investigated as 3-volt cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries. These materials with different water content showed a much better performance than that of MoO₃ as cathode of the rechargeable lithium battery. We report the electrochemical characteristics of Li//OHM batteries using the oxides and oxide-hydrates of molybdenum which were synthesized from molybdic acid. The oxide has a corrugated layered structure consisting of corner-shared MoO₆ octahedra. This structure provides electronic conductivity within basal layer and high lithium ion mobility between layers. The mechanism of dehydration and structural rearrangement of molybdic acid during heat treatment were studied by thermal analysis, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. Thermal analysis indicates a two-step dehydration and formation of orthorhombic α-MoO₃ and monoclinic ß-MoO₃. Discharge profiles and kinetics are dependent on the amount of “structural water” into the host lattice. The electroinsertion of Li ions occurs mainly in two steps in the potential range between 3.0 and 1.5 V (compositional range 0.0≤x(Li)≤1.5).     

Role of salt concentration on conductivity optimization and structural phase separation in a solid polymer electrolyte based on PMMA-LiClO4

Although a large number of ionic conductors based on poly(methyl-methacrylate) (PMMA) are reported in literature, an optimization of salt concentration with respect to conductivity and stability properties remains by and large neglected. We report, perhaps for the first time, such an optimization of salt (LiClO₄) concentration on structural, morphological, electrical, and ion–polymer interaction in PMMA-based solid polymer films. The active coordination site for the cation (Li⁺), out of the two possible electron donating functional groups (i.e. C=Ö and Ö–CH₃) in PMMA, has been ascertained on the basis of evidences recorded in Fourier transform infrared spectrum. The results suggested C=Ö as the only possible site in PMMA matrix for coordination with Li⁺ cation. The X-ray diffraction results have clearly indicated an optimum limit of salt dissolution in PMMA matrix corresponding to O/Li = 4 (i.e., ~21wt.%) above which “phase-separation” occurs distinctly. The effect of salt concentration on amorphous → crystalline phase changes in PMMA and its correlation to morphology have been clearly observed in terms of their impact on electrical properties. An optimum electrical conductivity of ~7.2 × 10^?5S cm^?1 has been recorded at 100°C (~PMMA glass transition). The temperature dependence of conductivity follows typical Vogel–Tamman–Fulcher behavior.     

Amorphisation in solid metallic systems

The formation of amorphous alloys by a solid state reaction without any rapid quenching is reviewed. The crystal to glass transition is driven by the large negative heat of mixing of the crystalline reactants. Kinetic constraints assure the formation of an amorphous phase instead of the crystalline equilibrium phases. A comparison with other recently developed methods, like ion beam mixing, and a comparison of some physical properties between differently prepared amorphous alloys of the same composition are given.     

Effect of ZnO filler concentration on the conductivity, structure and morphology of PVdF-HFP nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte for lithium battery application

The polyvinylidene difluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVdF-HFP) nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte films were developed by solution-casting method. PVdF-HFP as a polymer host, lithium perchlorate (LiClO₄) as a salt for lithium ion, and ZnO nanoparticles as fillers were used to form the nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte films. All the prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy. The XRD patterns of the pure and nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte samples indicate the formation of amorphous phase with 17.5 wt.% of lithium salt and ZnO fillers up to 3 wt.%. The total conductivity and lithium ion transference number were studied at room temperature by using impedance spectroscopy and Wagner’s polarization methods. The highest conductivity at room temperature for solid polymer electrolyte and nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte are found to be 3.208?×?10^?4 and 1.043?×?10^?3 S/cm, respectively. Similarly, the lithium ion transference number is evaluated for the optimized solid polymer electrolyte and nanocomposite solid polymer electrolyte films with 3 wt.% of ZnO fillers. And it is found that ionic transference number could be enhanced from 92 to 95 % with the addition of nanosized ZnO fillers to the solid polymer electrolyte.