RESUMO
Progress in rational engineering of Li-ion batteries requires better understanding of the electrochemical processes and accompanying transformations in the electrode materials on multiple length scales. In spite of recent progress in utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to analyze these materials, in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was mostly overlooked as a powerful tool that allows probing these phenomena on the nano and mesoscale. Here we report on in situ SEM study of lithiation in a V2O5-based single-nanobelt battery with ionic liquid electrolyte. Coupled with cyclic voltammetry measurements, in situ SEM revealed the peculiarities of subsurface intercalation, formation of a solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) and electromigration of liquid. We observed that single-crystalline vanadia nanobelts do not undergo large-scale amorphization or fracture during electrochemical cycling, but rather transform topochemically with only a slight shape distortion. The SEI layer seems to have significant influence on the lithium ion diffusion and overall capacity of the single-nanobelt battery.
RESUMO
The effect of Joule self-heating of the semiconducting metal oxide nanowire (here (and below unless specified), due to the generality of the effect, we use the term 'nanowire' without specification as to whether the nanobelt or other class of quasi-1D nanostructure is considered) conductometric gas sensor on its surface reactivity and kinetics is demonstrated. Due to small thermal capacitance and hampered thermal losses from the nanowire to its surroundings, the sensor was able to operate without a heater, consuming only a few microwatts of power. These results demonstrate the importance of the self-heating effect in nanowire electronics and its potential use in chemical and bio-sensing, where the ultra-small size of the active element and minimal power consumption are crucial.
