Lithiation Behavior of Silicon Nanowire Anodes for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Impact of Functionalization and Porosity.

Metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) provides a versatile way to synthesize silicon nanowires (SiNW) of different morphologies. MACE was used to synthesize oxide-free porous and nonporous SiNW for use as anodes for lithium-ion batteries. To improve their processing behavior, the SiNW were functionalized using acrylic acid. Differential capacity plots were used as a way to identify the degradation processes during cycling through tracking the formation of Li15 Si4 and changes in polarization. The cycling performance between porous and nonporous SiNW differed regarding Coulombic efficiency and cycling stability. The differences were attributed to the porous hull and its ability to reduce the volume expansion, although not through its porous nature but the reduced uptake of Li ions.

Reactive oxygen species formed in organic lithium-oxygen batteries.

Li-oxygen batteries with organic electrolytes are of general interest because of their theoretically high gravimetric energy density. Among the great challenges for this storage technology is the generation of reactive oxygen species such as superoxides and peroxides that may react with the organic solvent molecules and other cell components. The generation of such species has been assumed to occur during the charging reaction. Here we show that superoxide is formed also during the discharge reaction in lithium ion-containing dimethyl sulfoxide electrolytes and is released into the solution. This is shown independently by fluorescence microscopy after reaction with the selective reagent 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole and by local detection using a microelectrode of a scanning electrochemcial microscope positioned in a defined distance of 10 to 90 µm above the gas diffusion electrode.

Manganese oxide phases and morphologies: A study on calcination temperature and atmospheric dependence.

Manganese oxides are one of the most important groups of materials in energy storage science. In order to fully leverage their application potential, precise control of their properties such as particle size, surface area and Mn (x) (+) oxidation state is required. Here, Mn3O4 and Mn5O8 nanoparticles as well as mesoporous α-Mn2O3 particles were synthesized by calcination of Mn(II) glycolate nanoparticles obtained through an economical route based on a polyol synthesis. The preparation of the different manganese oxides via one route facilitates assigning actual structure-property relationships. The oxidation process related to the different MnO x species was observed by in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements showing time- and temperature-dependent phase transformations occurring during oxidation of the Mn(II) glycolate precursor to α-Mn2O3 via Mn3O4 and Mn5O8 in O2 atmosphere. Detailed structural and morphological investigations using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and powder XRD revealed the dependence of the lattice constants and particle sizes of the MnO x species on the calcination temperature and the presence of an oxidizing or neutral atmosphere. Furthermore, to demonstrate the application potential of the synthesized MnO x species, we studied their catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in aprotic media. Linear sweep voltammetry revealed the best performance for the mesoporous α-Mn2O3 species.

Synthesis of lead chalcogenide nanocrystals and study of charge transfer in blends of PbSe nanocrystals and poly(3-hexylthiophene).

Nearly monodisperse lead chalcogenide (PbE, E = S, Se, or Te) semiconductor quantum dots of controllable shape have been produced via a novel synthesis which includes the occurrence of in situ formed Pb(0) particles. Tunable size and shape are achieved through appropriate choice of the precursor type and the stabilizer. As precursor, we use, on the one hand, lead oxide or lead acetate, on the other hand, tellurium, selenium, or sulfur powder dissolved in trioctylphosphine (TOP), tributylphosphine (TBP), or 1-octadecene (ODE). Oleic acid (OA) and various amines, as well as TOP and TBP are used for stabilization. With respect to possible application in hybrid solar cells, the surface of as-synthesized spherical PbSe nanocrystals was investigated by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry (MS) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). As an important result, it was found that the surface is not mostly covered by oleic acid after synthesis, but by a phosphorus compound. We also applied a ligand exchange procedure with hexylamine and found evidence for the successful attachment of hexylamine to the nanocrystal surface. Additionally, charge separation between these nanoparticles and the conjugated polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) is studied by electron spin resonance and photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. The spectra obtained suggest that charges can be produced successfully by photoinduced charge transfer.

Colloidally prepared Pt nanowires versus impregnated Pt nanoparticles: comparison of adsorption and reaction properties.

Ligand-capped Pt nanowires, prepared by colloidal synthesis and deposited on a high surface area γ-Al(2)O(3) support, were subjected to surface characterization by electron microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy using CO as a probe molecule. The structural, adsorption, and catalytic reaction properties of the colloidal Pt nanowires were compared to those of conventional, impregnated Pt nanoparticles on the same Al(2)O(3) support. In situ FTIR spectroscopy indicated ligand effects on the CO resonance frequency, irreversible CO-induced surface roughening upon CO adsorption, and a higher resistance of colloidal catalysts toward oxidation (both in oxygen and during CO oxidation), suggesting that the organic ligands might protect the Pt surface. Elevated temperature induced a transformation of Pt nanowires to faceted Pt nanoparticles. The colloidal catalyst was active for hydrodechlorination of trichloroethylene (TCE), but no ligand effect on selectivity was obtained.