Fluorine-doped nanocrystalline SnO2 powders prepared via a single molecular precursor method as anode materials for Li-ion batteries

Fluorine-doped nanocrystalline tin dioxide materials (F:SnO₂) have been successfully prepared by the sol-gel process from a single molecular precursor followed by a thermal treatment at 450-650 °C. The resulting materials were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption porosimetry (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The mean particle size increased from 5 to 20 nm and the specific surface area decreased from 123 to 37 m²/g as the temperature of heat treatment was risen from 450 to 650 °C. Fluorine-doped nanocrystalline SnO₂ exhibited capacity of 560, 502, and 702 mA h/g with 48%, 50%, and 40% capacity retention after 25 cycles between 1.2 V and 50 mV at the rate of 25 mA/g, respectively. In comparison, commercial SnO₂ showed an initial capacity of 388 mA h/g, with only 23% capacity retention after 25 cycles.     

Novel composite anode materials for lithium ion batteries with low sensitivity towards humidity

Graphitic anode materials for lithium ion batteries processed under high humidity conditions show severe performance losses. The sensitivity of these materials towards humidity can be significantly reduced by adsorbing metal ions like silver or copper ions, with subsequent heat treatment of these composites. Results of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, high-resolution electron microscopy, thermogravimetry, and differential thermal analysis indicate that the deposited metals exist in metallic and carbide, M_xC (M=Cu or Ag), forms. They remove or cover (i.e. deactivate) active hydrophilic sites at the surface of the graphite. These composites absorb less water during processing. The electrochemical performance, including reversible capacity, coulombic efficiency in the first cycle, and cycling behavior, is markedly improved. This approach provides a potentially powerful method to manufacture lithium ion batteries under less demanding conditions.Presented at the 3rd International Meeting on Advanced Batteries and Accumulators, 16–20 June 2002, Brno, Czech Republic     

Novel Gel—like Process for Synthesizing Submicron LiaNi0.8Co0.2O2 Powders Used in Lithium Ion Batteries

A novel gel-like process has been developed for synthesizing LiaNi0.8Co0.2O2 powders,using citric acid as a chelating agent. This process improves the homogeneity of constituent cation and enhances their reactivity in the obtained precursor. The results of electrochemical test demonstrated that these materials exhibited excellent electrochemical properties. Its initial capacity reached 181.6 mAh/g and reversible efficiency at the first cycle is about 88.6%.     

PVC DISULFIDE AS CATHODE MATERIALS FOR SECONDARY LITHIUM BATTERIES

PVC disulfide (2SPVC) was synthesized by solution crosslink and its molecular structure was confirmed by infrared spectrum. 2SPVC's specific area is 36.1 m2·g-1 tested by stand BET method, and granularity experiment gives out the particle size of d0.5= 11.3μm. With SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) experiment the surface morphology and particle shape of 2SPVC were observed. Cyclic voltammetry (scan rate: 0.5 mV·s-1) shows that 2SPVC experience an obvious S-S redox reaction in charge-discharge process. When 2SPVC was used as cathode material for secondary lithium battery in a 1 mol·L-1 solution of lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (Li(CF3SO2)2N) in a 5:45:50 volume ratio mixture of o-xylene (oxy), diglyme (DG) and dimethoxymethane (DME) at 30℃, the first discharge capacity of 2SPVC is about 400.3 mAh·g-1 which is very close to its theoretical value (410.5 mAh·g-1) at a constant discharge current of 15 mA·g-1. It can retain at about 346.1 mAh·g-1 of discharge capacity after 30 charge-discharge cycles. So 2SPVC is a very promising cathode candidate for rechargeable lithium batteries.     

Molten salt synthesis (MSS) of Cu2Mo6S8—New way for large-scale production of Chevrel phases

The Chevrel phase (CP), Mo₆S₈, was found to be an excellent cathode material for rechargeable magnesium batteries. Mo₆S₈ is obtained by a leaching process of Cu₂Mo₆S₈, which removes the copper. A new method of Cu₂Mo₆S₈ production was developed. In contrast to the well-known solid-state synthesis of CP, the method is based on the reaction in a molten salt media (KCl). A fast kinetics of this reaction allows using less active, but more convenient precursors (sulfides instead of sulfur), decreasing temperature and synthesis duration, as well as operation in the inert atmosphere instead of dynamic evacuated systems. It was shown that the composition and the electrochemical behavior of the products obtained by MSS and by the solid-state synthesis are identical. Thus, the molten salt method is extremely attractive for the large-scale production of the active materials for Mg batteries.     

层状LiMnO2的固相合成及电化学性能

以Mn₂O₃和氢氧化锂为原料，通过焙烧合成出o-LiMnO₂。用X射线衍射和扫描电镜对不同温度下合成的粉末样品进行了表征，并研究了材料的电化学性能。通过对不同温度条件下烧结样品的晶胞参数、布拉格(110)晶面峰半高宽及电化学性能研究发现：600 ℃下合成样品的半高宽最大，堆垛层错率高，同时电化学性能也最好，首次放电容量达到156 mAh·g^-1，20次循环后仍保持在140 mAh·g^-1以上。中高温固相合成的o-LiMnO₂材料，在晶粒范围大小相近时，材料电化学性能与材料堆垛层错率相关。     

Facile hydrothermal construction of Nb_2CT_x/Nb_2O_5 as a hybrid anode material for high-performance Li-ion batteries

Herein,a simple yet efficient hydrothermal strategy is developed to in-situ convert multi-layered niobium-based MXene(Nb_2 CT_x) to hierarchical Nb2 CTx/Nb_2O_5 composite.In the hybrid,the Nb_2O_5 nanorods are well dispersed in and/or on the Nb_2 CTx.Thanks to the synergetic contributions from the high capacity of Nb_2O_5 and superb electrical conductivity of the two-dimensional Nb_2 CT_x itself,the resultant Nb_2 CTx/Nb_2O_5 hybrid exhibits excellent rate behaviors and stable long-term cycling behaviors,when evaluated as anodes for Li-ion batteries.     

Synthesis and phase transition of Li-Mn-O spinels with high Li/Mn ratio by thermo-decomposition of LiMnC2O4(Ac)

LiMnC₂O₄(Ac) precursor in which Li⁺ and Mn²⁺ were amalgamated in one molecule was prepared by solid-state reaction at room-temperature using manganese acetate, lithium hydroxide and oxalic acid as raw materials. By thermo-decomposition of LiMnC₂O₄(Ac) at various temperatures, a series of Li_1+y[Mn_2−xLi_x]_16dO₄ spinels were prepared with Li₂MnO₃ as impurities. The structure and phase transition of these spinels were investigated by XRD, TG/DTA, average oxidation state of Mn and cyclic voltammeric techniques. Results revealed that the Li-Mn-O spinels with high Li/Mn ratio were unstable at high temperature, and the phase transition was associated with the transfer of Li⁺ from octahedral 16c sites to 16d sites. With the sintering temperature increasing from 450 to 850 °C, the phase structure varied from lithiated-spinel Li₂Mn₂O₄ to Li₄Mn₅O₁₂-like to LiMn₂O₄-like and finally to rock-salt LiMnO₂-like. A way of determining x with average oxidation state of Mn and the content of Li₂MnO₃ was also demonstrated.     

Apparent Molar Volume, Heat Capacity, and Conductance of Lithium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfone)imide in Glymes and Other Aprotic Solvents

Lithium bis(trifluoromethylsulfone)imide (LiTFSI) is a promising electrolyte for high-energy lithium batteries due to its high solubility in most solvents and electrochemical stability. To characterize this electrolyte in solution, its conductance and apparent molar volume and heat capacity were measured over a wide range of concentration in glymes, tetraethylsulfamide (TESA), acetonitrile, -butyrolactone, and propylene carbonate at 25°C and were compared with those of LiClO₄ in the same solvents. The glymes or n(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ethers (nEGDME), which have the chemical structure CH₃–O–(CH₂–CH₂–O) _n –CH₃ for n = 1 to 4, are particularly interesting since they are electrochemically stable, have a good redox window, and are analogs of the polyethylene oxides used in polymer-electrolyte batteries. TESA is a good plasticizer for polymer-electrolyte batteries. Whenever required, the following properties of the pure solvents were measured: compressibilities, expansibilities, temperature and pressure dependences of the dielectric constant, acceptor number, and donor number. These data were used in particular to calculate the limiting Debye-Hückel parameters for volumes and heat capacities. The infinite dilution properties of LiTFSI are quite similar to those of other lithium salts. At low concentrations, LiTFSI is strongly associated in the glymes and moderately associated in TESA. At intermediate concentrations, the thermodynamic data suggests that a stable solvate of LiTFSI in EGDME exists in the solution state. At high concentrations, the thermodynamic properties of the two lithium salts approach those of the molten salts. These salts have a reasonably high specific conductivity in most of the solvents. This suggests that the conductance of ions at high concentration in solvents of low dielectric constant is due to a charge transfer process rather than to the migration of free ions.     

锂离子电池锡氧化物基负极材料的湿化学合成与电化学性质

采用新兴的湿化学方法合成了锡氧化物基粉末材料。用X-射线衍射、扫描电镜和电化学方法对材料的微观结构、形貌和电化学性能进行了详细的研究。结果表明，经400 ℃热处理4 h的锡氧化物基材料的颗粒大小均匀，平均粒径约为200 nm。这种材料的可逆充电容量超过570 mAh·g^-1，30次循环后平均每次循环的容量衰减只有0.15%。良好的电化学性能表明锡氧化物基材料有望作为新一代锂离子电池的负极材料。