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1.
Nature ; 556(7700): 185-190, 2018 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29643482

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need for low-cost, resource-friendly, high-energy-density cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries to satisfy the rapidly increasing need for electrical energy storage. To replace the nickel and cobalt, which are limited resources and are associated with safety problems, in current lithium-ion batteries, high-capacity cathodes based on manganese would be particularly desirable owing to the low cost and high abundance of the metal, and the intrinsic stability of the Mn4+ oxidation state. Here we present a strategy of combining high-valent cations and the partial substitution of fluorine for oxygen in a disordered-rocksalt structure to incorporate the reversible Mn2+/Mn4+ double redox couple into lithium-excess cathode materials. The lithium-rich cathodes thus produced have high capacity and energy density. The use of the Mn2+/Mn4+ redox reduces oxygen redox activity, thereby stabilizing the materials, and opens up new opportunities for the design of high-performance manganese-rich cathodes for advanced lithium-ion batteries.

2.
Small ; 18(12): e2105833, 2022 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35060327

ABSTRACT

Ni-rich layered LiNix Mny Co1- x - y O2 (NMCs, x ≥ 0.8) are poised to be the dominating cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries for the foreseeable future. Conventional polycrystalline NMCs, however, suffer from severe cracking along the grain boundaries of primary particles and capacity loss under high charge and/or discharge rates, hindering their implementation in fast-charging electric vehicular (EV) batteries. Single-crystal (SC) NMCs are attractive alternatives as they eliminate intergranular cracking and allow for grain-level surface optimization for fast Li transport. In the present study, the authors report synthetic approaches to produce SC LiNi0.8 Co0.1 Mn0.1 O2 (NMC811) samples with different morphologies: Oct-SC811 with predominating (012)-family surface and Poly-SC811 with predominating (104)-family surface. Poly-SC811, representing the first experimentally synthesized NMC811 single crystals with (104) surface, delivers superior performance even at the ultra-high rate of 6 C. Through detailed X-ray analysis and electron microscopy characterization, it is shown that the enhanced performance originates from better chemical and structural stabilities, faster Li+ diffusion kinetics, suppressed side reactions with electrolyte, and excellent cracking resistance. These insights provide important design guidelines in the future development of fast-charging NMC-type cathode materials.

3.
Nat Mater ; 20(2): 214-221, 2021 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33046857

ABSTRACT

High-entropy (HE) ceramics, by analogy with HE metallic alloys, are an emerging class of solid solutions composed of a large number of species. These materials offer the benefit of large compositional flexibility and can be used in a wide variety of applications, including thermoelectrics, catalysts, superionic conductors and battery electrodes. We show here that the HE concept can lead to very substantial improvements in performance in battery cathodes. Among lithium-ion cathodes, cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX)-type materials are an ideal platform within which to design HE materials because of their demonstrated chemical flexibility. By comparing a group of DRX cathodes containing two, four or six transition metal (TM) species, we show that short-range order systematically decreases, whereas energy density and rate capability systematically increase, as more TM cation species are mixed together, despite the total metal content remaining fixed. A DRX cathode with six TM species achieves 307 mAh g-1 (955 Wh kg-1) at a low rate (20 mA g-1), and retains more than 170 mAh g-1 when cycling at a high rate of 2,000 mA g-1. To facilitate further design in this HE DRX space, we also present a compatibility analysis of 23 different TM ions, and successfully synthesize a phase-pure HE DRX compound containing 12 TM species as a proof of concept.

4.
J Am Chem Soc ; 142(18): 8160-8173, 2020 May 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32271552

ABSTRACT

Cathodes based on layered LiMO2 are the limiting components in the path toward Li-ion batteries with energy densities suitable for electric vehicles. Introducing an overstoichiometry of Li increases storage capacity beyond a conventional mechanism of formal transition metal redox. However, the role and fate of the oxide ligands in such intriguing additional capacity remain unclear. This reactivity was predicted in Li3RuO4, making it a valuable model system. A comprehensive analysis of the redox activity of both Ru and O under different electrochemical conditions was carried out, and the effect of Li/Ru ordering was evaluated. Li3RuO4 displays highly reversible Li intercalation to Li4RuO4 below 2.5 V vs Li+/Li0, with conventional reactivity through the formal Ru5+-Ru4+ couple. In turn, it can also undergo anodic Li extraction at 3.9 V, which involves O states to a much greater extent than Ru. This reaction competes with side processes such as electrolyte decomposition and, to a much lesser extent, oxygen loss. Although the associated capacity is reversible, reintercalation unlocks a different, conventional pathway also involving the formal Ru5+-Ru4+ couple despite operating above 2.5 V, leading to chemical hysteresis. This new pathway is both chemically and electrochemically reversible in subsequent cycles. This work exemplifies both the challenge of stabilizing highly depleted O states, even with 4d metals, and the ability of solids to access the same redox couple at two very different potential windows depending on the underlying structural changes. It highlights the importance of properly defining the covalency of oxides when defining charge compensation in view of the design of materials with high capacity for Li storage.

5.
J Am Chem Soc ; 142(18): 8522-8531, 2020 May 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32271554

ABSTRACT

Layered Li-rich Ni, Mn, Co (NMC) oxide cathodes in Li-ion batteries provide high specific capacities (>250 mAh/g) via O-redox at high voltages. However, associated high-voltage interfacial degradation processes require strategies for effective electrode surface passivation. Here, we show that an acidic surface treatment of a Li-rich NMC layered oxide cathode material leads to a substantial suppression of CO2 and O2 evolution, ∼90% and ∼100% respectively, during the first charge up to 4.8 V vs Li+/0. CO2 suppression is related to Li2CO3 removal as well as effective surface passivation against electrolyte degradation. This treatment does not result in any loss of discharge capacity and provides superior long-term cycling and rate performance in comparison to as-received, untreated materials. We also quantify the extent of lattice oxygen participation in charge compensation ("O-redox") during Li+ removal by a novel ex situ acid titration. Our results indicate that the peroxo-like species resulting from O-redox originate on the surface at least 300 mV earlier than the activation plateau region at around 4.5 V. X-ray photoelectron spectra and Mn L-edge X-ray absorption spectra of the cathode powders reveal a Li+ deficiency and a partial reduction of Mn ions on the surface of the acid-treated material. More interestingly, although the irreversible oxygen evolution is greatly suppressed through the surface treatment, O K-edge resonant inelastic X-ray scattering shows that the lattice O-redox behavior is largely sustained. The acidic treatment, therefore, only optimizes the surface of the Li-rich material and almost eliminates the irreversible gas evolution, leading to improved cycling and rate performance. This work therefore presents a simple yet effective approach to passivate cathode surfaces against interfacial instabilities during high-voltage battery operation.

6.
J Am Chem Soc ; 2020 Jun 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32469508

ABSTRACT

Illumination of a voltage-biased plasmonic Ag cathode during CO2 reduction results in a suppression of the H2 evolution reaction while enhancing CO2 reduction. This effect has been shown to be photonic rather than thermal, but the exact plasmonic mechanism is unknown. Here, we conduct an in situ ATR-SEIRAS (attenuated total reflectance-surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy) study of a sputtered thin film Ag cathode on a Ge ATR crystal in CO2-saturated 0.1 M KHCO3 over a range of potentials under both dark and illuminated (365 nm, 125 mW cm-2) conditions to elucidate the nature of this plasmonic enhancement. We find that the onset potential of CO2 reduction to adsorbed CO on the Ag surface is -0.25 VRHE and is identical in the light and the dark. As the production of gaseous CO is detected in the light near this onset potential but is not observed in the dark until -0.5 VRHE, we conclude that the light must be assisting the desorption of CO from the surface. Furthermore, the HCO3- wavenumber and peak area increase immediately upon illumination, precluding a thermal effect. We propose that the enhanced local electric field that results from the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is strengthening the HCO3- bond, further increasing the local pH. This would account for the decrease in H2 formation and increase the CO2 reduction products in the light.

7.
Small ; 16(22): e2000656, 2020 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32363748

ABSTRACT

Owing to the capacity boost from oxygen redox activities, Li-rich cation-disordered rocksalts (LRCDRS) represent a new class of promising high-energy Li-ion battery cathode materials. Redox-inactive transition-metal (TM) cations, typically d0 TM, are essential in the formation of rocksalt phases, however, their role in electrochemical performance and cathode stability is largely unknown. In the present study, the effect of two d0 TM (Nb5+ and Ti4+ ) is systematically compared on the redox chemistry of Mn-based model LRCDRS cathodes, namely Li1.3 Nb0.3 Mn0.4 O2 (LNMO), Li1.25 Nb0.15 Ti0.2 Mn0.4 O2 (LNTMO), and Li1.2 Ti0.4 Mn0.4 O2 (LTMO). Although electrochemically inactive, d0 TM serves as a modulator for oxygen redox, with Nb5+ significantly enhancing initial charge storage contribution from oxygen redox. Further studies using differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy and resonant inelastic X-ray scattering reveal that Ti4+ is better in stabilizing the oxidized oxygen anions (On - , 0 < n < 2), leading to a more reversible O redox process with less oxygen gas release. As a result, much improved chemical, structural and cycling stabilities are achieved on LTMO. Detailed evaluation on the effect of d0 TM on degradation mechanism further suggests that proper design of redox-inactive TM cations provides an important avenue to balanced capacity and stability in this newer class of cathode materials.

8.
Nano Lett ; 19(8): 5140-5148, 2019 Aug 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31322896

ABSTRACT

The stability of modern lithium-ion batteries depends critically on an effective solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI), a passivation layer that forms on the carbonaceous negative electrode as a result of electrolyte reduction. However, a nanoscopic understanding of how the SEI evolves with battery aging remains limited due to the difficulty in characterizing the structural and chemical properties of this sensitive interphase. In this work, we image the SEI on carbon black negative electrodes using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) and track its evolution during cycling. We find that a thin, primarily amorphous SEI nucleates on the first cycle, which further evolves into one of two distinct SEI morphologies upon further cycling: (1) a compact SEI, with a high concentration of inorganic components that effectively passivates the negative electrode; and (2) an extended SEI spanning hundreds of nanometers. This extended SEI grows on particles that lack a compact SEI and consists primarily of alkyl carbonates. The diversity in observed SEI morphologies suggests that SEI growth is a highly heterogeneous process. The simultaneous emergence of these distinct SEI morphologies highlights the necessity of effective passivation by the SEI, as large-scale extended SEI growths negatively impact lithium-ion transport, contribute to capacity loss, and may accelerate battery failure.

9.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 112(30): 9293-8, 2015 Jul 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26170330

ABSTRACT

Among the "beyond Li-ion" battery chemistries, nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries have the highest theoretical specific energy and, as a result, have attracted significant research attention over the past decade. A critical scientific challenge facing nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries is the electronically insulating nature of the primary discharge product, lithium peroxide, which passivates the battery cathode as it is formed, leading to low ultimate cell capacities. Recently, strategies to enhance solubility to circumvent this issue have been reported, but rely upon electrolyte formulations that further decrease the overall electrochemical stability of the system, thereby deleteriously affecting battery rechargeability. In this study, we report that a significant enhancement (greater than fourfold) in Li-O2 cell capacity is possible by appropriately selecting the salt anion in the electrolyte solution. Using (7)Li NMR and modeling, we confirm that this improvement is a result of enhanced Li(+) stability in solution, which, in turn, induces solubility of the intermediate to Li2O2 formation. Using this strategy, the challenging task of identifying an electrolyte solvent that possesses the anticorrelated properties of high intermediate solubility and solvent stability is alleviated, potentially providing a pathway to develop an electrolyte that affords both high capacity and rechargeability. We believe the model and strategy presented here will be generally useful to enhance Coulombic efficiency in many electrochemical systems (e.g., Li-S batteries) where improving intermediate stability in solution could induce desired mechanisms of product formation.

10.
Angew Chem Int Ed Engl ; 57(19): 5529-5533, 2018 05 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29543372

ABSTRACT

Solid alkali metal carbonates are universal passivation layer components of intercalation battery materials and common side products in metal-O2 batteries, and are believed to form and decompose reversibly in metal-O2 /CO2 cells. In these cathodes, Li2 CO3 decomposes to CO2 when exposed to potentials above 3.8 V vs. Li/Li+ . However, O2 evolution, as would be expected according to the decomposition reaction 2 Li2 CO3 →4 Li+ +4 e- +2 CO2 +O2 , is not detected. O atoms are thus unaccounted for, which was previously ascribed to unidentified parasitic reactions. Here, we show that highly reactive singlet oxygen (1 O2 ) forms upon oxidizing Li2 CO3 in an aprotic electrolyte and therefore does not evolve as O2 . These results have substantial implications for the long-term cyclability of batteries: they underpin the importance of avoiding 1 O2 in metal-O2 batteries, question the possibility of a reversible metal-O2 /CO2 battery based on a carbonate discharge product, and help explain the interfacial reactivity of transition-metal cathodes with residual Li2 CO3 .

11.
J Am Chem Soc ; 139(49): 17853-17860, 2017 12 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29112815

ABSTRACT

The role of residual lithium carbonate in the electrochemistry and outgassing of lithium transition-metal oxides (TMOs) has been largely overlooked. By combining in situ gas analysis, isotopic labeling, and a surface carbonate titration, we show that the presence of residual lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) on the surface of both Ni-rich Li-stoichiometric (specifically LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2) and Li-rich (Li1.2Ni0.15Co0.1Mn0.55O2) TMOs has a direct correlation with the amount of CO2 and CO evolved and has a relationship with O2 evolved from the TMO lattice on the first charge. By selectively isotopically labeling the residual surface Li2CO3, which remains in small quantities (∼0.1 wt %) after synthesis, and not the carbonate electrolyte, we further show that, up to 4.8 V vs Li/Li+ on the first charge, carbonate electrolyte degradation negligibly contributes to gas evolution. These key conclusions warrant a reassessment of our notion of oxidative decomposition of carbonate electrolytes on TMO surfaces and, more generally, the reactivity of TMO surfaces. For the battery research community, our results highlight the importance of quantification of the surface contaminants and suggest that further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of trace surface Li2CO3.

12.
J Am Chem Soc ; 138(8): 2656-63, 2016 Mar 02.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26871485

ABSTRACT

Despite the promise of extremely high theoretical capacity (2Li + O2 ↔ Li2O2, 1675 mAh per gram of oxygen), many challenges currently impede development of Li/O2 battery technology. Finding suitable electrode and electrolyte materials remains the most elusive challenge to date. A radical new approach is to replace volatile, unstable and air-intolerant organic electrolytes common to prior research in the field with alkali metal nitrate molten salt electrolytes and operate the battery above the liquidus temperature (>80 °C). Here we demonstrate an intermediate temperature Li/O2 battery using a lithium anode, a molten nitrate-based electrolyte (e.g., LiNO3-KNO3 eutectic) and a porous carbon O2 cathode with high energy efficiency (∼95%) and improved rate capability because the discharge product, lithium peroxide, is stable and moderately soluble in the molten salt electrolyte. The results, supported by essential state-of-the-art electrochemical and analytical techniques such as in situ pressure and gas analyses, scanning electron microscopy, rotating disk electrode voltammetry, demonstrate that Li2O2 electrochemically forms and decomposes upon cycling with discharge/charge overpotentials as low as 50 mV. We show that the cycle life of such batteries is limited only by carbon reactivity and by the uncontrolled precipitation of Li2O2, which eventually becomes electrically disconnected from the O2 electrode.

14.
ACS Energy Lett ; 9(2): 373-380, 2024 Feb 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38356937

ABSTRACT

High concentration electrolytes (HCEs) and localized high concentration electrolytes (LHCEs) have emerged as promising candidates to enable higher energy density Li-ion batteries due to their advantageous interfacial properties that result from their unique solvent structures. Using electrophoretic NMR and electrochemical techniques, we characterize and report full transport properties, including the lithium transference numbers (t+) for electrolytes ranging from the conventional ∼1 M to HCE regimes as well as for LHCE systems. We find that compared to conventional electrolytes, t+ increases for HCEs; however the addition of diluents to LHCEs significantly decreases t+. Viscosity effects alone cannot explain this behavior. Using Onsager transport coefficients calculated from our experiments, we demonstrate that there is more positively correlated cation-cation motion in HCEs as well as fast cation-anion ligand exchange consistent with a concerted ion-hopping mechanism. The addition of diluents to LHCEs results in more anticorrelated motion indicating a disruption of concerted cation-hopping leading to low t+ in LHCEs.

15.
ACS Energy Lett ; 9(4): 1717-1724, 2024 Apr 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38633994

ABSTRACT

Understanding Li+ transport in organic-inorganic hybrid electrolytes, where Li+ has to lose its organic solvation shell to enter and transport through the inorganic phase, is crucial to the design of high-performance batteries. As a model system, we investigate a range of Li+-conducting particles suspended in a concentrated electrolyte. We show that large Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7P3O12 and Li6PS5Cl particles can enhance the overall conductivity of the electrolyte. When studying impedance using a cell with a large cell constant, the Nyquist plot shows two semicircles: a high-frequency semicircle related to ion transport in the bulk of both phases and a medium-frequency semicircle attributed to Li+ transporting through the particle/liquid interfaces. Contrary to the high-frequency resistance, the medium-frequency resistance increases with particle content and shows a higher activation energy. Furthermore, we show that small particles, requiring Li+ to overcome particle/liquid interfaces more frequently, are less effective in facilitating Li+ transport. Overall, this study provides a straightforward approach to study the Li+ transport behavior in hybrid electrolytes.

16.
J Phys Chem Lett ; 15(2): 391-400, 2024 Jan 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38175963

ABSTRACT

Electrolyte decomposition limits the lifetime of commercial lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and slows the adoption of next-generation energy storage technologies. A fundamental understanding of electrolyte degradation is critical to rationally design stable and energy-dense LIBs. To date, most explanations for electrolyte decomposition at LIB positive electrodes have relied on ethylene carbonate (EC) being chemically oxidized by evolved singlet oxygen (1O2) or electrochemically oxidized. In this work, we apply density functional theory to assess the feasibility of these mechanisms. We find that electrochemical oxidation is unfavorable at any potential reached during normal LIB operation, and we predict that previously reported reactions between the EC and 1O2 are kinetically limited at room temperature. Our calculations suggest an alternative mechanism in which EC reacts with superoxide (O2-) and/or peroxide (O22-) anions. This work provides a new perspective on LIB electrolyte decomposition and motivates further studies to understand the reactivity at positive electrodes.

17.
Chem Mater ; 36(8): 3643-3654, 2024 Apr 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38681087

ABSTRACT

Disordered rock salt oxides (DRX) have shown great promise as high-energy-density and sustainable Li-ion cathodes. While partial substitution of oxygen for fluorine in the rock salt framework has been related to increased capacity, lower charge-discharge hysteresis, and longer cycle life, fluorination is poorly characterized and controlled. This work presents a multistep method aimed at assessing fluorine incorporation into DRX cathodes, a challenging task due to the difficulty in distinguishing oxygen from fluorine using X-ray and neutron-based techniques and the presence of partially amorphous impurities in all DRX samples. This method is applied to "Li1.25Mn0.25Ti0.5O1.75F0.25" prepared by solid-state synthesis and reveals that the presence of LiF impurities in the sample and F content in the DRX phase is well below the target. Those results are used for compositional optimization, and a synthesis product with drastically reduced LiF content and a DRX stoichiometry close to the new target composition (Li1.25Mn0.225Ti0.525O1.85F0.15) is obtained, demonstrating the effectiveness of the strategy. The analytical method is also applied to "Li1.33Mn0.33Ti0.33O1.33F0.66" obtained via mechanochemical synthesis, and the results confirm that much higher fluorination levels can be achieved via ball-milling. Finally, a simple and rapid water washing procedure is developed to reduce the impurity content in as-prepared DRX samples: this procedure results in a ca. 10% increase in initial discharge capacity and a ca. 11% increase in capacity retention after 25 cycles for Li1.25Mn0.25Ti0.50O1.75F0.25. Overall, this work establishes new analytical and material processing methods that enable the development of more robust design rules for high-energy-density DRX cathodes.

18.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces ; 15(33): 39253-39264, 2023 Aug 23.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37565767

ABSTRACT

Cobalt-free cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) cathodes are a promising class of materials for next-generation Li-ion batteries. Although they have high theoretical specific capacities (>300 mA h/g) and moderate operating voltages (∼3.5 V vs Li/Li+), DRX cathodes typically require a high carbon content (up to 30 wt %) to fully utilize the active material which has a detrimental impact on cell-level energy density. To assess pathways to reduce the electrode's carbon content, the present study investigates how the carbon's microstructure and loading (10-20 wt %) influence the performance of DRX cathodes with the nominal composition Li1.2Mn0.5Ti0.3O1.9F0.1. While electrodes prepared with conventional disordered carbon additives (C65 and ketjenblack) exhibit rapid capacity fade due to an unstable cathode/electrolyte interface, DRX cathodes containing 10 wt % graphite show superior cycling performance (e.g., reversible capacities ∼260 mA h/g with 85% capacity retention after 50 cycles) and rate capability (∼135 mA h/g at 1000 mA/g). A suite of characterization tools was employed to evaluate the performance differences among these composite electrodes. Overall, these results indicate that the superior performance of the graphite-based cathodes is largely attributed to the: (i) formation of a uniform graphitic coating on DRX particles which protects the surface from parasitic reactions at high states of charge and (ii) homogeneous dispersion of the active material and carbon throughout the composite cathode which provides a robust electronically conductive network that can withstand repeated charge-discharge cycles. Overall, this study provides key scientific insights on how the carbon microstructure and electrode processing influence the performance of DRX cathodes. Based on these results, exploration of alternative routes to apply graphitic coatings is recommended to further optimize the material performance.

19.
Chem Sci ; 14(24): 6546-6557, 2023 Jun 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37350831

ABSTRACT

Polyelectrolyte solutions (PESs) recently have been proposed as high conductivity, high lithium transference number (t+) electrolytes where the majority of the ionic current is carried by the electrochemically active Li-ion. While PESs are intuitively appealing because anchoring the anion to a polymer backbone selectively slows down anionic motion and therefore increases t+, increasing the anion charge will act as a competing effect, decreasing t+. In this work we directly measure ion mobilities in a model non-aqueous polyelectrolyte solution using electrophoretic Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (eNMR) to probe these competing effects. While previous studies that rely on ideal assumptions predict that PESs will have higher t+ than monomeric solutions, we demonstrate that below the entanglement limit, both conductivity and t+ decrease with increasing degree of polymerization. For polyanions of 10 or more repeat units, at 0.5 m Li+ we directly observe Li+ move in the "wrong direction" in an electric field, evidence of a negative transference number due to correlated motion through ion clustering. This is the first experimental observation of negative transference in a non-aqueous polyelectrolyte solution. We also demonstrate that t+ increases with increasing Li+ concentration. Using Onsager transport coefficients calculated from experimental data, and insights from previously published molecular dynamics studies we demonstrate that despite selectively slowing anion motion using polyanions, distinct anion-anion correlation through the polymer backbone and cation-anion correlation through ion aggregates reduce the t+ in non-entangled PESs. This leads us to conclude that short-chained polyelectrolyte solutions are not viable high transference number electrolytes. These results emphasize the importance of understanding the effects of ion-correlations when designing new concentrated electrolytes for improved battery performance.

20.
ACS Appl Mater Interfaces ; 15(15): 18747-18762, 2023 Apr 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37014990

ABSTRACT

Lithium-excess, cation-disordered rocksalt (DRX) materials have been subject to intense scrutiny and development in recent years as potential cathode materials for Li-ion batteries. Despite their compositional flexibility and high initial capacity, they suffer from poorly understood parasitic degradation reactions at the cathode-electrolyte interface. These interfacial degradation reactions deteriorate both the DRX material and electrolyte, ultimately leading to capacity fade and voltage hysteresis during cycling. In this work, differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) and titration mass spectrometry are combined to quantify the extent of bulk redox and surface degradation reactions for a set of Mn2+/4+-based DRX oxyfluorides during initial cycling with a high-voltage charging cutoff (4.8 V vs Li/Li+). Increasing the fluorine content from 7.5 to 33.75% is shown to diminish oxygen redox and suppresses high-voltage O2 evolution from the DRX surface. Additionally, electrolyte degradation processes resulting in the formation of both gaseous species and electrolyte-soluble protic species are observed. Subsequently, DEMS is paired with a fluoride-scavenging additive to demonstrate that increasing fluorine content leads to increased dissolution of fluorine from the DRX material into the electrolyte. Finally, a suite of ex situ spectroscopy techniques (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy) are employed to study the change in DRX composition during charging, revealing the dissolution of manganese and fluorine from the DRX material at high voltages. This work provides insight into the degradation processes occurring at the DRX-electrolyte interface and points toward potential routes of interfacial stabilization.

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