Fast Li Ion Dynamics in the Solid Electrolyte Li7P3S11 as Probed by 6,7Li NMR Spin‐Lattice Relaxation

The development of safe and long‐lasting all‐solid‐state batteries with high energy density requires a thorough characterization of ion dynamics in solid electrolytes. Commonly, conductivity spectroscopy is used to study ion transport; much less frequently, however, atomic‐scale methods such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) are employed. Here, we studied long‐range as well as short‐range Li ion dynamics in the glass‐ceramic Li₇P₃S₁₁. Li⁺ diffusivity was probed by using a combination of different NMR techniques; the results are compared with those obtained from electrical conductivity measurements. Our NMR relaxometry data clearly reveal a very high Li⁺ diffusivity, which is reflected in a so‐called diffusion‐induced ⁶Li NMR spin‐lattice relaxation peak showing up at temperatures as low as 313 K. At this temperature, the mean residence time between two successful Li jumps is in the order of 3×10⁸ s^?1, which corresponds to a Li⁺ ion conductivity in the order of 10^?4 to 10^?3 S cm^?1. Such a value is in perfect agreement with expectations for the crystalline but metastable glass ceramic Li₇P₃S₁₁. In contrast to conductivity measurements, NMR analysis reveals a range of activation energies with values ranging from 0.17 to 0.26 eV, characterizing Li diffusivity in the bulk. In our case, through‐going Li ion transport, when probed by using macroscopic conductivity spectroscopy, however, seems to be influenced by blocking grain boundaries including, for example, amorphous regions surrounding the Li₇P₃S₁₁ crystallites. As a result of this, long‐range ion transport as seen by impedance spectroscopy is governed by an activation energy of approximately 0.38 eV. The findings emphasize how surface and grain boundary effects can drastically affect long‐range ionic conduction. If we are to succeed in solid‐state battery technology, such effects have to be brought under control by, for example, sophisticated densification or through the preparation of samples that are free of any amorphous regions that block fast ion transport.     

Li2B12Si2: the first ternary compound in the system Li/B/Si: synthesis, crystal structure, hardness, spectroscopic investigations, and electronic structure

We present the synthesis, crystal structure, hardness, IR/Raman and UV/Vis spectra, and FP-LAPW calculations of the electronic structure of Li(2)B(12)Si(2), the first ternary compound in the system Li/B/Si. Yellow, transparent single crystals were synthesized from the elements in tin as solvent at 1500 degrees C in h-BN crucibles in arc-welded Ta ampoules. Li(2)B(12)Si(2) crystallizes orthorhombic in the space group Cmce (no. 64) with a=6.1060(6), b=10.9794(14), c=8.4050(8) A, and Z=4. The crystal structure is characterized by a covalent network of B(12) icosahedra connected by Si atoms and Li atoms located in interstitial spaces. The structure is closely related to that of MgB(12)Si(2) and fulfils the electron-counting rules of Wade and Longuet-Higgins. Measurements of Vickers (H(V)=20.3 GPa) and Knoop microhardness (H(K)=20.4 GPa) revealed that Li(2)B(12)Si(2) is a hard material. The band gap was determined experimentally and calculated by theoretical means. UV/Vis spectra revealed a band gap of 2.27 eV, with which the calculated value of 2.1 eV agrees well. The IR and Raman spectra show the expected oscillations of icosahedral networks. Theoretical investigations of bonding in this structure were carried out with the FP-LAPW method. The results confirm the applicability of simple electron-counting rules and enable some structural specialties to be explained in more detail.     

Superstructure in the Metastable Intermediate‐Phase Li2/3FePO4 Accelerating the Lithium Battery Cathode Reaction

LiFePO₄ is an important cathode material for lithium‐ion batteries. Regardless of the biphasic reaction between the insulating end members, Li_xFePO₄, x≈0 and x≈1, optimization of the nanostructured architecture has substantially improved the power density of positive LiFePO₄ electrode. The charge transport that occurs in the interphase region across the biphasic boundary is the primary stage of solid‐state electrochemical reactions in which the Li concentrations and the valence state of Fe deviate significantly from the equilibrium end members. Complex interactions among Li ions and charges at the Fe sites have made understanding stability and transport properties of the intermediate domains difficult. Long‐range ordering at metastable intermediate eutectic composition of Li_2/3FePO₄ has now been discovered and its superstructure determined, which reflected predominant polaron crystallization at the Fe sites followed by Li⁺ redistribution to optimize the Li? Fe interactions.     

Revisiting Prussian Blue Analogues with Solid‐State MAS NMR Spectroscopy: Spin Density and Local Structure in [Cd3{Fe(CN)6}2]⋅15 H2O

No legendary Prussian order! The distribution of vacancies in Prussian blue analogues is not random, and the spin density on the Cd²⁺ ion varies depending on the number of paramagnetic ions in its surroundings. This conclusion follows from ¹¹³Cd solid‐state magic‐angle spinning NMR studies of [Cd₃{Fe/Co(CN)₆}₂]?15 H₂O, where the presence of small but significant spin density on the observed ¹¹³Cd nucleus leads to improved spectral resolution.

     

The Richest Collection of Tautomeric Polymorphs: The Case of 2‐Thiobarbituric Acid

Five new polymorphs and one hydrated form of 2‐thiobarbituric acid have been isolated and characterised by solid‐state methods. In both the crystalline form II and in the hydrate form, the 2‐thiobarbituric molecules are present in the enol form, whereas only the keto isomer is present in crystalline forms I (reported in 1967 by Calas and Martinex), III , V and VI . In form IV , on the other hand, a 50:50 ordered mixture of enol/keto molecules is present. All new forms have been characterised by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, 1D and 2D (¹H, ¹³C, and ¹⁵N) solid‐state NMR spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X‐ray powder diffraction at variable temperature. It has been possible to induce keto–enol conversion between the forms by mechanical methods. The role of hydrogen‐bond interactions in determining the relative stability of the polymorphs and as a driving force in the conversions has been ascertained. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the 2‐thiobarbituric family of crystal forms represents the richest collection of examples of tautomeric polymorphism so far reported in the literature.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structure and Properties of Li2Cu5(PO4)4

Li₂Cu^II₅(PO₄)₄ has been obtained by various reactions starting from copper or Cu₂O. Crystallization was achieved using I₂ as oxidant and mineralizer. The new orthophosphate crystallizes in space group P$\bar{1}$ , Z = 2, with a = 6.0502(3) Å, b = 9.2359(4) Å, c = 11.4317(5) Å, α = 75.584(2)°, β = 80.260(2)°, γ = 74.178(2)°, at 293 K. Its structure has been determined from X‐ray single‐crystal data and refined to R₁ = 0.022{wR₂ = 0.058 for 4633 unique reflections with F_o > 4σ (F_o)}. From magnetic measurements μ_eff = 1.51 μ_B/Cu and θ_P = –37.4 K have been determined. The Vis/NIR spectrum of aqua‐green Li₂Cu₅(PO₄)₄ shows a single broad band centered around $\bar{1}$ = 12000 cm^–1. Magnetic behavior and spectrum are discussed within the angular overlap model.     

Probing the Local Structure of Pure Ionic Liquid Salts with Solid‐ and Liquid‐State NMR

Room‐temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) are gaining increasing interest and are considered part of the green chemistry paradigm due to their negligible vapour pressure and ease of recycling. Evidence of liquid‐state order, observed by IR and Raman spectroscopy, diffraction studies, and simulated by ab initio methods, has been reported in the literature. Here, quadrupolar nuclei are used as NMR probes to extract information about the solid and possible residual order in the liquid state of RTILs. To this end, the anisotropic nature and field dependence of quadrupolar and chemical shift interactions are exploited. Relaxation time measurements and a search for residual second‐order quadrupolar coupling were employed to investigate the molecular motions present in the liquid state and infer what kind of order is present. The results obtained indicate that on a timescale of ～10^?8 sec or longer, RTILs behave as isotropic liquids without residual order.     

A Native-Like Conformation for the C-Terminal Domain of the Prion Ure2p within its Fibrillar Form

Taking a definite stance: Protein fibrils are often associated with disorder and polymorphism, but the prion fibrils of Ure2p are shown (through solid-state NMR spectroscopy) to be highly ordered, and the conformations of the globular domain to be more restricted within the fibrils (black; see scheme) than in Ure2p single crystals?(red). This finding implies that steric impairment is at the origin of the [URE3] phenotype in yeast.     

Enhancing the Electrochemical Performance of the LiMn2O4 Hollow Microsphere Cathode with a LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 Coated Layer

Spinel cathode materials consisting of LiMn₂O₄@LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ hollow microspheres have been synthesized by a facile solution‐phase coating and subsequent solid‐phase lithiation route in an atmosphere of air. When used as the cathode of lithium‐ion batteries, the double‐shell LiMn₂O₄@LiNi_0.5Mn_1.5O₄ hollow microspheres thus obtained show a high specific capacity of 120 mA h g^?1 at 1 C rate, and excellent rate capability (90 mAhg^?1 at 10 C) over the range of 3.5–5 V versus Li/Li⁺ with a retention of 95 % over 500 cycles.     

7Li and 13C solid-state NMR spectra of lithium cuprates

7Li and 13C solid-state MAS NMR spectra of three lithium cuprates with known X-ray structures--lithium([12]crown-4)2 dimethyl and diphenyl cuprate (1,2) and lithium(thf)4-[tris(trimethylsilyl) methyl]2 cuprate (3)--have been measured and analysed with respect to the quadrupolar coupling constants of lithium-7, chi(7Li), and the asymmetry parameters of the quadrupolar interactions, eta(7Li), as well as the 6, 7Li and 13C chemical shifts. The chi(7Li) values of 23, 30, and 18 kHz for 1, 2 and 3, respectively, are in line with the high symmetry around the lithium nucleus in the solvent-separated structures and may be used as reference data for this structural motif. Calculations based on charges derived from ab initio 6-31 G* HF computations using the point charge model (PCM) and the program GAMESS support the experimental findings.     

Three polymorphic forms of the co-crystal 4,4'-bipyridine/pimelic acid and their structural, thermal, and spectroscopic characterization

Three crystal forms of the co-crystal 4,4'-bipy/pimelic acid (bipy: bipyridine), [NH(4)C(5)-C(5)H(4)N][HOOC(CH(2))(5)COOH], have been prepared and their relationship investigated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable-temperature X-ray powder diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. Both X-ray and NMR spectroscopic results indicate that no proton transfer takes place, that is, the three crystal forms are true co-crystals of neutral molecules. Forms I and II both convert into Form III at high temperature, Forms II and III being the thermodynamically stable forms at room and high temperature, respectively.     

Boronate Ligands in Materials: Determining Their Local Environment by Using a Combination of IR/Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopies and DFT Calculations

Boronic acids (R‐B(OH)₂) are a family of molecules that have found a large number of applications in materials science. In contrast, boronate anions (R‐B(OH)₃^?) have hardly been used so far for the preparation of novel materials. Here, a new crystalline phase involving a boronate ligand is described, Ca[C₄H₉‐B(OH)₃]₂, which is then used as a basis for the establishment of the spectroscopic signatures of boronates in the solid state. The phase was characterized by IR and multinuclear solid‐state NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹B and ⁴³Ca), and then modeled by periodic DFT calculations. Anharmonic OH vibration frequencies were calculated as well as NMR parameters (by using the Gauge Including Projector Augmented Wave—GIPAW—method). These data allow relationships between the geometry around the OH groups in boronates and the IR and ¹H NMR spectroscopic data to be established, which will be key to the future interpretation of the spectra of more complex organic–inorganic materials containing boronate building blocks.     

Supertetrahedral Networks and Lithium‐Ion Mobility in Li2SiP2 and LiSi2P3

The new phosphidosilicates Li₂SiP₂ and LiSi₂P₃ were synthesized by heating the elements at 1123 K and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Li₂SiP₂ (I4₁/acd, Z=32, a=12.111(1) Å, c=18.658(2) Å) contains two interpenetrating diamond‐like tetrahedral networks consisting of corner‐sharing T2 supertetrahedra [(SiP_4/2)₄]. Sphalerite‐like interpenetrating networks of uniquely bridged T4 and T5 supertetrahedra make up the complex structure of LiSi₂P₃ (I4₁/a, Z=100, a=18.4757(3) Å, c=35.0982(6) Å). The lithium ions are located in the open spaces between the supertetrahedra and coordinated by four to six phosphorus atoms. Temperature‐dependent ⁷Li solid‐state MAS NMR spectroscopic data indicate high mobility of the Li⁺ ions with low activation energies of 0.10 eV in Li₂SiP₂ and 0.07 eV in LiSi₂P₃.