In Situ Observation of the Electrochemical Lithiation of a Single SnO2 Nanowire Electrode

Journal Article · Thu Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2010 · Science, 330(6010):1515-1520

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1195628· OSTI ID:1001103

Huang, J Y; Zhong, Li; Wang, Chong M; Sullivan, John P; Xu, Wu; Zhang, Li Q; Mao, Scott; Hudak, N; Liu, Xiao H; Subramanian, Arun Kumar; Fan, Hongyou; Qi, Liang; Kushima, Akihiro; Li, Ju

We report the first real-time transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations of the structural evolution and phase transformation of lithium-ion battery anode during the battery charging process. A nanobattery consisting of a single SnO2 nanowire anode and an ionic liquid electrolyte was successfully constructed in a TEM. We observed that during the charging process, the SnO2 crystal was converted to Li2O glass with LixSn nanocrystalline precipitates as the reaction front propagated progressively along the nanowire. After the reaction front passed, the nanowire showed swelling, elongation, and large off-axis distortion (spiraling). Upon completion of the electrochemical charging, the nanowire showed up to 120% elongation and a 30% increase in diameter with a volume expansion of about 272%. The charging front, which separates the reacted and unreacted sections of the nanowire, contains a high density of mobile dislocations, which are continuously nucleated and annihilated at the moving reaction front. This dislocation cloud indicates large in-plane misfit stresses, and serves as structural precursor to the eventual complete solid-state amorphization. The rate of charging in our nanobatteries is found to be proportional to the inverse square root of nanowire length, indicating that a standalone nanobattery or integrated arrays of nanobatteries should have kinetic advantage over conventional battery design. The present observations also provide important mechanistic insights for the design of advanced batteries with improved performance and lifetime for broad electrical energy storage applications.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1001103
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-75254; SCEHDK; 30203; 42690; KP1704020; TRN: US201101%%837
• Journal Information: Science, 330(6010):1515-1520, Vol. 330, Issue 6010; ISSN 0193-4511
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
ANODES
BATTERY CHARGING
CLOUDS
DESIGN
DISLOCATIONS
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYTES
ELONGATION
ENERGY STORAGE
GLASS
KINETICS
LIFETIME
PERFORMANCE
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PRECURSOR
STRESSES
SWELLING
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
Real
time
observation
charging
process
single
SnO2
nanowire
anode
Li-ion
nanobattery
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory