In situ determination of lithium ion cathode/electrolyte thickness and composition as a function of charge

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2014 · ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

OSTI ID:1185326

Baggetto, Loic ^[1]; Browning, Jim ^[1]; Tenhaeff, Wyatt E ^[1]; Keum, Jong Kahk ^[1]; Wood, III, David L ^[1]; Veith, Gabriel M ^[1]

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1. ORNL

In this work we report the first experimental in situ determination of the thickness and estimated composition of a condensed electrode/electrolyte interface at various states of charge for the high voltage Li-ion cathode LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 by exploiting the power of neutron reflectometry.1 Understanding the electrode/electrolyte interface is critical to developing an understanding of interfacial reactions needed to model transport phenomena and predict more stable electrolytes for electrochemical cells.2,3 However, developing the ability to control interfacial reactions in electrochemical cells is arguably one of the most critical challenges confronting researchers focused on energy storage and conversion reactions as well as liquid phase reactions such as photocatalysts and biomass conversion.2 For example, in electrochemical energy storage systems, such as batteries, the reactions between a solid electrode and a liquid electrolyte can lead to the formation of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), which directly mediates the stability, durability and safety of the cell. Controlling these interfacial reactions is essential to developing new, durable, and higher energy storage systems needed in the future.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Spallation Neutron Source
• Sponsoring Organization: ORNL LDRD Director's R&D
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1185326
• Journal Information: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Neutron Reflectometry