Vanadium Based Nanoelectrode Materials in Energy Storage Systems

Due to its high working voltage (4.7 V vs. Li/Li+ for Ni2+/Ni4+ redox couple), high theoretical capacity (147 mAh/g), and inherent cyclic stability (no Jahn-Teller distortion from Mn3+), LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 is a promising cathode material for the practical application in high energy density lithium ion batteries [1-3]. The cation ordering, the degree of presence of Mn3+ in the spinel structure, is regarded as an important factor influencing the electrochemical properties of LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4 [4, 5]. With a simply strategy of cooling rate, the degree of ordering in disordered spinel LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4-δ structure is controlled at 0.5 oC/min for slow cooled spinel and at 5 oC/min for fast cooled spinel. From XRD and FTIR analyses and charge/discharge profiles, it is confirmed that the fast cooled spinel develops more disordered structure than the slow cooled spinel, retaining more oxygen vacancies and more abundant Mn3+. Moreover, through in situ XRD analysis, the more disordered spinel follows the extended solid-solution reaction in favor of Li+transport, which results in an improved rate capability. But, the local structure information of interesting atoms without a destructive interference which can arise from long-range structural order is highly related to the electrochemical performance. Therefore, the examination in local structural variations of interesting atoms is essential for understanding their electrochemical properties. In this work, we investigate local structural changes in the vicinity of Mn and Ni cations at various C-rates by using ex situ XAS analysis and quantify the structural changes by fitting a theoretical model to the extended X-ray absorption fine structure data. This finding will propose that a change of structural distortion can be another platform to understand the enhanced Li+transport in the disordered spinel and offer valuable guidance for developing LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4, a promising cathode material with high rate capability for next generation rechargeable batteries. More detailed discussion will be presented at the 2016 IMLB meeting. [1]. X. Liu, D. Li et al., J. Alloys Compd.,2014, 609, 54-59. [2]. X.-W. Gao, Y.-F. Deng et al., J. Mater, Chem. A.,2015, 3, 404-411. [3]. H. Xia, Y.S. Meng et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., 2007, 154, A737-A743. [4]. M. Kunduraci and G.G Amatucci, J. Electrochem. Soc.,2006, 153, A1345-A1352 [5]. L. Wang, H. Li et al., Solid State Ionics., 2011, 193, 32-38

Porous ZnO/Co3O4/CoO/Co composite derived from Zn-Co-ZIF as improved performance anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Effect of niobium doping on the structure and electrochemical performance of LiNi0.5Co0.2Mn0.3O2 cathode materials for lithium ion batteries

SnSe2 Quantum Dot/rGO composite as high performing lithium anode

High energy nickel manganese cobalt oxide materials (HENMC) are one of the most viable cathode materials for a high energy density lithium ion battery (LIB), but they contain expensive and toxic cobalt (Co). We synthesized Co-free high energy nickel manganese oxide cathode materials (HENM) via a solid state reaction method and a coprecipitation method. Their structural and electrochemical properties were comparatively investigated using X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), particle size analysis (PSA) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The co-precipitated HENM and the solid state fabricated HENM showed high capacities of 250 mAhg−1 and 240 mAhg−1, respectively. It suggests that the solid state fabricated method of HENM would be a good candidate for practical application as well as the co-precipitated one.

Medium‐nickel layered oxide materials are a promising positive electrode material for high energy density lithium ion batteries. These materials can suffer from surface instability at a highly de‐lithiated state and poor rate capability. Surface coatings with multiple elements are a common strategy to overcome some of these challenges, however, the rationale behind adding these elements has never been explored. Here, various mid‐nickel single crystal vendor materials are evaluated by X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and identified various surface coating compounds that can form during synthesis. Among the many common coating elements this study primarily focuses on tungsten (W). Using the in‐house “all dry synthesis” method, single crystal Li1+x(Ni0.6Mn0.3Co0.1)1‐xO2 materials are developed, where W is added at different stages of the synthesis to generate some unique W‐based surface compounds that match with vendor materials. This study systematically evaluates different W‐based surface compounds, compares their overall effect on electrochemical performance and highlights the instability of some of them. This work demonstrates that W is an important element and can significantly improve electrochemical performance when added in a second heating step.

Spontaneous local redox reaction to passivate CNTs as lightweight current collector for high energy density lithium ion batteries

Realizing superior cycling stability of Ni-Rich layered cathode by combination of grain boundary engineering and surface coating

Si Nanoparticles Intercalated into Interlayers of Slightly Exfoliated Graphite filled by Carbon as Anode with High Volumetric Capacity for Lithium-ion Battery

Internal short-circuit tests were carried out in a battery safety investigation chamber to determine the behavior of batteries during the nail penetration test. So far, systematic investigations regarding the test setup and its influence are rarely found in the literature. Especially, to improve the comparability of the multitude of available results, it is essential to understand the effects of the geometric, operating and ambient parameters. In this study commercial lithium ion batteries with a capacity of 5.3 and 3.3 Ah were used to study the influence of the varied parameters on the voltage drop, the development of surface temperatures and of infrared active gas species. We studied both the influence of the geometry of the penetrating nail and concentration of water in the inert atmosphere especially on the quantities of the reaction products under variation of cell capacity. It could be shown that the geometry of the nail, within certain limits, has no influence on the processes of the thermal runaway of high energy density lithium ion batteries (LIBs). However, a change in capacity from 5.3 to 3.3 Ah shows that in particular the gaseous reaction products differ: The standardized gas concentrations show a higher measurable concentration of all gases except CO for the 3.3 Ah LIBs. This circumstance can be explained by the intensity of the reactions due to the different battery capacities: In the 5.3 Ah cells a larger amount of unreacted material is immediately discharged from the reaction center, and by the different available amounts of oxidizing reaction partners. An increase of the water content in the surrounding atmosphere during the thermal runaway leads to a reduction of the measurable gas concentrations of up to 36.01%. In general, all measured concentrations decrease. With increased water content more reaction products from the atmosphere can be directly bound or settle as condensate on surfaces.

High energy density lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are in urgent demand for portable electronic devices and electrical vehicles. As the energy density heavily relies on the cathode materials, extensive researches have been undertaken to develop the cathode materials with a high degree of lithium utilization. In this respect, the layered lithium transition metal oxides with the composition of LiNixCoyMn1−x−yO2 (NCM) have received much attention due to their low cost and high practical capacity. Unfortunately, the viability of NCM for the market is hindered by the challenges resulting from the deteriorations occurring on the length scale from nanometer to bulk. These degradation mechanisms interact each other during battery cycling and simultaneously deteriorate the NCM lifespan. Therefore, this review article focuses on the insightful understanding of the capacity/voltage fading mechanisms of NCM with an aim to provide important clues for the future design of layered lithium transition metal oxides. First, we discuss the crystal and electronic structure of the layered oxide as they are related to the NCM mechanochemical breakdown. Then, on overviewing each degradation mechanism, we provide an insightful opinion with regard to finding the correlation between the mechanisms. Finally, a variety of novel approaches that have been proposed with an attempt to prolong the cycle life of NCM cathodes are presented.

Designing anode materials with high lithium specific capacity is crucial to the development of high energy density lithium (ion) batteries. Herein, a distinctive lithium growth mechanism, namely, the restricted multilayered growth for lithium, and a strategy for lithium storage are proposed to achieve a balance between ultrahigh specific capacity and the need to avert uncontrolled dendritic growth of lithium. In particular, based on first-principles computation, we show that the Al2C monolayer with a planar tetracoordinate carbon structure can be an ideal platform for realizing the restricted multilayered growth mechanism as a two-dimensional (2D) anode material. Furthermore, the Al2C monolayer exhibits the ultrahigh specific capacity of lithium of 4059 mAh/g, yet with a low diffusion barrier of 0.039-0.17 eV and low open circuit voltage in the range of 0.002-0.34 V. These novel properties render the Al2C monolayer a promising anode material for future lithium (ion) batteries. Our study also offers a design of promising 2D anode materials with a high specific capacity, fast lithium-ion diffusion, and safe lithium storage.

In recent years, the escalating global energy crisis and the ever-increasing concern over environmental pollution have stimulated extensive research efforts towards exploring new green energy sources and accelerating the transformation and upgrading of traditional energy structures. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), known for their exceptional properties including high energy density, excellent discharge performance, long lifespan, non-toxicity, and environmental friendliness, have been regarded as the backbone of new energy systems. Additionally, graphene, a two-dimensional novel nanomaterial, has recently gained attention as a kind of electrode material exhibiting great promise for utilization in LIBs due to exceptional performance attributes. Notably, significant evidence from current studies has revealed that the integration of graphene into LIBs leads to a substantial improvement in their electrochemical performance. However, advancements in the performance during cycling and the capacity for charging of LIBs remain imperative. Therefore, the investigation of materials based on graphene for enhancing the performance of LIBs holds substantial importance. This paper has various aspects related to the utilization of graphene and graphene-based composites materials in electrodes in LIBs. A comprehensive analysis is conducted on the current literature and recent progress in the respective field, including the modification of composites formed by integrating metal oxides with graphene, the usage of graphene as a conductive agent, etc. Furthermore, this paper provides an outlook on the future enhancements and developments concerning the utilization of graphene in LIBs. The findings and analyses presented in this study hope to contribute novel insights for researchers and encourage the development of LIBs with larger capacity and longerlasting operational capabilities.

Technology has been developed that enables monitoring of individual cells in highcapacity lithium-ion battery packs, with a distributed array of wireless Bluetooth 4.0 tags and sensors, and without proliferation of extensive wiring harnesses. Given the safety challenges facing lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicle, civilian aviation and defense applications, these wireless sensors may be particularly important to these emerging markets. These wireless sensors will enhance the performance, reliability and safety of such energy storage systems. Specific accomplishments to date include, but are not limited to: (1) the development of wireless tags using Bluetooth 4.0 standard to monitor a large array of sensors in battery pack; (2) sensor suites enabling the simultaneous monitoring of cell voltage, cell current, cell temperature, and package strain, indicative of swelling and increased internal pressure, (3) small receivers compatible with USB ports on portable computers; (4) software drivers and logging software; (5) a 7S2P battery simulator, enabling the safe development of wireless BMS hardware in the laboratory; (6) demonstrated data transmission out of metal enclosures, including battery box, with small variable aperture opening; (7) test data demonstrating the accurate and reliable operation of sensors, with transmission of terminal voltage, cell temperature and package strain at distances up to 110 feet; (8) quantification of the data transmission error as a function of distance, in both indoor and outdoor operation; (9) electromagnetic interference testing during operation with live, high-capacity battery management system at Yardney Technical Products; (10) demonstrated operation with live high-capacity lithium-ion battery pack during charge-discharge cycling; (11) development of special polymer-gel lithium-ion batteries with embedded temperature sensors, capable of measuring the core temperature of individual of the cells during charge-discharge cycling at various temperatures, thereby enabling earlier warning of thermal runaway than possible with external sensors. Ultimately, the team plans to extend this work to include: (12) flexible wireless controllers, also using Bluetooth 4.0 standard, essential for balancing large-scale battery packs. LLNL received $925K for this project, and has $191K remaining after accomplishing these objectives.

Technology has been developed that enables monitoring of individual cells in high - capacity lithium-ion battery packs, with a distributed array of wireless Bluetooth 4.0 tags and sensors, and without proliferation of extensive wiring harnesses. Given the safety challenges facing lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicle, civilian aviation and defense applications, these wireless sensors may be particularly important to these emerging markets. These wireless sensors will enhance the performance, reliability and safety of such energy storage systems. Specific accomplishments to date include, but are not limited to: (1) the development of wireless tags using Bluetooth 4.0 standard to monitor a large array of sensors in battery pack; (2) sensor suites enabling the simultaneous monitoring of cell voltage, cell current, cell temperature, and package strain, indicative of swelling and increased internal pressure, (3) small receivers compatible with USB ports on portable computers; (4) software drivers and logging software; (5) a 7S2P battery simulator, enabling the safe development of wireless BMS hardware in the laboratory; (6) demonstrated data transmission out of metal enclosures, including battery box, with small variable aperture opening; (7) test data demonstrating the accurate and reliable operation of sensors, with transmission of terminal voltage, cell temperature and package strain at distances up to 110 feet; (8) quantification of the data transmission error as a function of distance, in both indoor and outdoor operation; (9) electromagnetic interference testing during operation with live, high -capacity battery management system at Yardney Technical Products; (10) demonstrat ed operation with live high-capacity lithium-ion battery pack during charge-discharge cycling; (11) development of special polymer-gel lithium-ion batteries with embedded temperature sensors, capable of measuring the core temperature of individual of the cells during charge-discharge cycling at various temperatures, thereby enabling earlier warning of thermal runaway than possible with external sensors. Ultimately, the team plans to extend this work to include: (12) flexible wireless controllers, also using Bluetooth 4.0 standard, essential for balancing large-scale battery packs. LLNL received $925K for this project, and has $191K remaining after accomplishing these objectives.