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Krämer M, Favelukis B, Sokol M, Rosen BA, Eliaz N, Kim SH, Gault B. Facilitating Atom Probe Tomography of 2D MXene Films by In Situ Sputtering. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2024:ozae035. [PMID: 38767284 DOI: 10.1093/mam/ozae035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
2D materials are emerging as promising nanomaterials for applications in energy storage and catalysis. In the wet chemical synthesis of MXenes, these 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides are terminated with a variety of functional groups, and cations such as Li+ are often used to intercalate into the structure to obtain exfoliated nanosheets. Given the various elements involved in their synthesis, it is crucial to determine the detailed chemical composition of the final product, in order to better assess and understand the relationships between composition and properties of these materials. To facilitate atom probe tomography analysis of these materials, a revised specimen preparation method is presented in this study. A colloidal Ti3C2Tz MXene solution was processed into an additive-free free-standing film and specimens were prepared using a dual beam scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam. To mechanically stabilize the fragile specimens, they were coated using an in situ sputtering technique. As various 2D material inks can be processed into such free-standing films, the presented approach is pivotal for enabling atom probe analysis of other 2D materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Krämer
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Bar Favelukis
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Maxim Sokol
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Brian A Rosen
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Noam Eliaz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Tel Aviv University, P.O.B 39040, Ramat Aviv 6997801, Israel
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Vorlaufer N, Josten J, Carl S, Göbel E, Søgaard A, Taccardi N, Spiecker E, Felfer P. Preparation of atom probe tips from (nano)particles in dispersion using (di)electrophoresis and electroplating. Microsc Res Tech 2024; 87:476-483. [PMID: 37921114 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
The behavior of catalytic particles depends on their chemical structure and morphology. To reveal this information, the characterization with atom probe tomography has huge potential. Despite progresses and papers proposing various approaches towards the incorporation of particles inside atom probe tips, no single approach has been broadly applicable to date. In this paper, we introduce a workflow that allowed us to prepare atom probe specimens from Ga particles in suspension in the size range of 50 nm up to 2 μm. By combining dielectrophoresis and electrodeposition in a suitable way, we achieve a near-tip shape geometry, without a time-consuming FIB lift-out. This workflow is a simple and quick method to prepare atom probe tips and allows for a high preparation throughput. Also, not using a lift-out allowed us to use a cryo-stage, avoiding melting of the Ga particles, while ensuring a mechanical stable atom probe tip. The specimen prepared by this workflow enable a stable measurement and low fracture rates. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Enabling cryo-preparation of (nano)particles for the atom probe. Characterization of surface and bulk elemental distribution of GaPt model SCALMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Vorlaufer
- Institute I, Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jan Josten
- Institute I, Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Carl
- Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research (IMN) and Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Erik Göbel
- Institute I, Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alexander Søgaard
- Institute of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Department Chemical and Biological Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
- CHEC Research Centre, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Nicola Taccardi
- Institute of Chemical Reaction Engineering, Department Chemical and Biological Engineering, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Erdmann Spiecker
- Institute of Micro- and Nanostructure Research (IMN) and Center for Nanoanalysis and Electron Microscopy (CENEM), Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter Felfer
- Institute I, Materials Science & Engineering Department, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
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Flatscher F, Todt J, Burghammer M, Søreide HS, Porz L, Li Y, Wenner S, Bobal V, Ganschow S, Sartory B, Brunner R, Hatzoglou C, Keckes J, Rettenwander D. Deflecting Dendrites by Introducing Compressive Stress in Li 7La 3Zr 2O 12 Using Ion Implantation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2024; 20:e2307515. [PMID: 37946585 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202307515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Lithium dendrites belong to the key challenges of solid-state battery research. They are unavoidable due to the imperfect nature of surfaces containing defects of a critical size that can be filled by lithium until fracturing the solid electrolyte. The penetration of Li metal occurs along the propagating crack until a short circuit takes place. It is hypothesized that ion implantation can be used to introduce stress states into Li6.4La3Zr1.4Ta0.6O12 which enables an effective deflection and arrest of dendrites. The compositional and microstructural changes associated with the implantation of Ag-ions are studied via atom probe tomography, electron microscopy, and nano X-ray diffraction indicating that Ag-ions can be implanted up to 1 µm deep and amorphization takes place down to 650-700 nm, in good agreement with kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. Based on diffraction results pronounced stress states up to -700 MPa are generated in the near-surface region. Such a stress zone and the associated microstructural alterations exhibit the ability to not only deflect mechanically introduced cracks but also dendrites, as demonstrated by nano-indentation and galvanostatic cycling experiments with subsequent electron microscopy observations. These results demonstrate ion implantation as a viable technique to design "dendrite-free" solid-state electrolytes for high-power and energy-dense solid-state batteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Flatscher
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Solid-State Batteries, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Juraj Todt
- Chair of Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben and Erich Schmid Institute for Materials Science, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Leoben, 8700, Austria
| | - Manfred Burghammer
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, 6 rue Jules Horowitz, BP220, Grenoble, cedex 9, 38043, France
| | - Hanne-Sofie Søreide
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Lukas Porz
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Yanjun Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Sigurd Wenner
- SINTEF Industry, Department of Materials and Nanotechnology, Trondheim, 7465, Norway
| | - Viktor Bobal
- Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | | | | | | | - Constantinos Hatzoglou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
| | - Jozef Keckes
- Chair of Materials Physics, Montanuniversität Leoben and Erich Schmid Institute for Materials Science, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Leoben, 8700, Austria
| | - Daniel Rettenwander
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
- Christian Doppler Laboratory for Solid-State Batteries, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 7491, Norway
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Martens I, Vanpeene V, Vostrov N, Leake S, Zatterin E, Auvergniot J, Drnec J, Richard MI, Villanova J, Schulli T. Imaging Voids and Defects Inside Li-Ion Cathode LiNi 0.6Mn 0.2Co 0.2O 2 Single Crystals. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:59319-59328. [PMID: 38085792 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Li-ion battery cathode active materials obtained from different sources or preparation methods often exhibit broadly divergent performance and stability despite no obvious differences in morphology, purity, and crystallinity. We show how state-of-the-art, commercial, nominally single crystalline LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC-622) particles possess extensive internal nanostructure even in the pristine state. Scanning X-ray diffraction microscopy reveals the presence of interlayer strain gradients, and crystal bending is attributed to oxygen vacancies. Phase contrast X-ray nano-tomography reveals two different kinds of particles, welded/aggregated, and single crystal like, and emphasizes the intra- and interparticle heterogeneities from the nano- to the microscale. It also detects within the imaging resolution (100 nm) substantial quantities of nanovoids hidden inside the bulk of two-thirds of the overall studied particles (around 3000), with an average value of 12.5%v per particle and a mean size of 148 nm. The powerful combination of both techniques helps prescreening and quantifying the defective nature of cathode material and thus anticipating their performance in electrode assembly/battery testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Martens
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Victor Vanpeene
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA Grenoble, LITEN, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble, France
| | - Nikita Vostrov
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Steven Leake
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Edoardo Zatterin
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | | | - Jakub Drnec
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Marie-Ingrid Richard
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA Grenoble, IRIG, MEM, NRX, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Julie Villanova
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - Tobias Schulli
- ESRF─The European Synchrotron, 71 Avenue des Martyrs, 38000 Grenoble, France
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Woods EV, Singh MP, Kim SH, Schwarz TM, Douglas JO, El-Zoka AA, Giulani F, Gault B. A Versatile and Reproducible Cryo-sample Preparation Methodology for Atom Probe Studies. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:1992-2003. [PMID: 37856778 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Repeatable and reliable site-specific preparation of specimens for atom probe tomography (APT) at cryogenic temperatures has proven challenging. A generalized workflow is required for cryogenic specimen preparation including lift-out via focused ion beam and in situ deposition of capping layers, to strengthen specimens that will be exposed to high electric field and stresses during field evaporation in APT and protect them from environment during transfer into the atom probe. Here, we build on existing protocols and showcase preparation and analysis of a variety of metals, oxides, and supported frozen liquids and battery materials. We demonstrate reliable in situ deposition of a metallic capping layer that significantly improves the atom probe data quality for challenging material systems, particularly battery cathode materials which are subjected to delithiation during the atom probe analysis itself. Our workflow design is versatile and transferable widely to other instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric V Woods
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Mahander P Singh
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Tim M Schwarz
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - James O Douglas
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Ayman A El-Zoka
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Finn Giulani
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Mikrostrukturphysik und Legierungsdesign, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College London, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2BP, UK
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Pantenburg I, Cronau M, Boll T, Duncker A, Roling B. Challenging Prevalent Solid Electrolyte Interphase (SEI) Models: An Atom Probe Tomography Study on a Commercial Graphite Electrode. ACS NANO 2023; 17:21531-21538. [PMID: 37902648 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c06560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are the dominating energy storage technology for electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. Since the resources of raw materials for LIBs are limited and recycling technologies for LIBs are still under development, improvements in the long-term stability of LIBs are of paramount importance and, in addition, would lead to a reduction in the levelized cost of storage (LCOS). A crucial limiting factor is the aging of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the active material particles in the anode. Here, we demonstrate the potential of atom probe tomography for elucidating the complex mosaic-type structure of the SEI in a graphite composite anode. Our 3D reconstruction shows unseen details and reveals the existence of an apolar organic microphase pervading the SEI over its entire thickness. This finding is in stark contrast to the prevalent two-layer SEI model, in which organic compounds are the dominating species only in the outer SEI layer being in contact with the liquid electrolyte. The observed spatial arrangement of the apolar organic microphase promises a better understanding of the passivation capability of the SEI, which is necessary to expand the battery lifetime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Pantenburg
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Marvin Cronau
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Torben Boll
- Institute for Applied Materials (IAM-WK), Institute for Nanotechnology (INT), and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMFi), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, Building 695, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Annalena Duncker
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Roling
- Department of Chemistry, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35032 Marburg, Germany
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Kim SH, Stephenson LT, Schwarz T, Gault B. Chemical Analysis for Alkali Ion-exchanged Glass Using Atom Probe Tomography. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2023; 29:890-899. [PMID: 37749684 DOI: 10.1093/micmic/ozad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
The developing flexible ultrathin glass for use in foldable displays has attracted widespread attention as an alternative to rigid electronic smartphones. However, the detailed compositional effects of chemically strengthened glass are not well understood. Moreover, the spatially resolved chemistry and depth of the compression layer of tempered glass are far from clear. In this study, commonly used X-ray spectroscopy techniques and atom probe tomography (APT) were used comparatively to investigate the distribution of constituent elements in two representative smartphone glass samples: non- and chemically tempered. APT has enabled sub-nanoscale analyses of alkali metals (Li, Na, K, and Ca) and this demonstrates that APT can be considered as an alternative technique for imaging the chemical distribution in glass for mobile applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Ho Kim
- Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea University, 145 Anam-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02841, South Korea
| | - Leigh T Stephenson
- Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Torsten Schwarz
- Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Microstructure Physics and Alloy Design, Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Materials, Imperial College London, Royal School of Mines, Prince Consort Rd, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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Jung C, Jun H, Jang K, Kim SH, Choi PP. Tracking the Mn Diffusion in the Carbon-Supported Nanoparticles Through the Collaborative Analysis of Atom Probe and Evaporation Simulation. MICROSCOPY AND MICROANALYSIS : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF MICROSCOPY SOCIETY OF AMERICA, MICROBEAM ANALYSIS SOCIETY, MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 2022; 28:1-10. [PMID: 36250402 DOI: 10.1017/s1431927622012211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Carbon-supported nanoparticles have been used widely as efficient catalysts due to their enhanced surface-to-volume ratio. To investigate their structure–property relationships, acquiring 3D elemental distribution is required. Here, carbon-supported Pt, PtMn alloy, and ordered Pt3Mn nanoparticles are synthesized and analyzed with atom probe tomography as model systems. A significant difference of Mn distribution after the heat-treatment was found. Finally, the field evaporation behavior of the carbon support was discussed and each acquired reconstruction was compared with computational results from an evaporation simulation. This paper provides a guideline for studies using atom probe tomography on the heterogeneous carbon-supported nanoparticle system that leads to insights toward a wide variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanwon Jung
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Hosun Jun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyuseon Jang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Ho Kim
- Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Pyuck-Pa Choi
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
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Kim SH, Dong K, Zhao H, El-Zoka AA, Zhou X, Woods EV, Giuliani F, Manke I, Raabe D, Gault B. Understanding the Degradation of a Model Si Anode in a Li-Ion Battery at the Atomic Scale. J Phys Chem Lett 2022; 13:8416-8421. [PMID: 36049043 PMCID: PMC9486947 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.2c02236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
To advance the understanding of the degradation of the liquid electrolyte and Si electrode, and their interface, we exploit the latest developments in cryo-atom probe tomography. We evidence Si anode corrosion from the decomposition of the Li salt before charge-discharge cycles even begin. Volume shrinkage during delithiation leads to the development of nanograins from recrystallization in regions left amorphous by the lithiation. The newly created grain boundaries facilitate pulverization of nanoscale Si fragments, and one is found floating in the electrolyte. P is segregated to these grain boundaries, which confirms the decomposition of the electrolyte. As structural defects are bound to assist the nucleation of Li-rich phases in subsequent lithiations and accelerate the electrolyte's decomposition, these insights into the developed nanoscale microstructure interacting with the electrolyte contribute to understanding the self-catalyzed/accelerated degradation Si anodes and can inform new battery designs unaffected by these life-limiting factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Se-Ho Kim
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Kang Dong
- Institute
of Applied Materials, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin 14109, Germany
| | - Huan Zhao
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Ayman A. El-Zoka
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Xuyang Zhou
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Eric V. Woods
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Finn Giuliani
- Department
of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial
College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Ingo Manke
- Institute
of Applied Materials, Helmholtz-Zentrum
Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin 14109, Germany
| | - Dierk Raabe
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
| | - Baptiste Gault
- Max-Planck
Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Straße 1, Düsseldorf 40237, Germany
- Department
of Materials, Royal School of Mines, Imperial
College, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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