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Title: In Situ TEM Investigation of ZnO Nanowires during Sodiation and Lithiation Cycling

Journal Article · · Small Methods
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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr. Houghton MI 49933-1295 USA
  2. Chemical Science and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue Argonne IL 60439 USA
  3. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 842 W. Taylor Street Chicago IL 60607-7059 USA

The development of sodium-ion batteries has drawn lots of attention recently due to the low-cost and eco-friendly sodium source. However, a fundamental understanding of the sodiation behavior for commonly used electrode materials is still limited. Here, combining in situ transmission electron microscopy, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy, and ex situ battery cycling tests, the lithiation and sodiation behavior of ZnO nanowires is investigated. The findings show a direct correlation between the mechanical behavior of the lithiated/sodiated ZnO nanowires and their electrochemical cyclability. The mechanical brittleness of LiZn and the formation of nanocracks lead to the poor cyclability of Li-ion batteries with a ZnO anode. However, the sodiated ZnO nanowires show profuse dislocation plasticity. The observed high-density dislocations offer the sodiated ZnO anode more ductility and subsequently better cyclability than its Li-ion counterpart. The results reveal the importance of understanding the correlation between mechanical properties of battery electrodes and their cycling abilities.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) - Office of Vehicle Technology
DOE Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1462720
Journal Information:
Small Methods, Vol. 1, Issue 9; ISSN 2366-9608
Publisher:
Wiley
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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