Isothermal Microcalorimetry: Insight into the Impact of Crystallite Size and Agglomeration on the Lithiation of Magnetite, Fe₃O₄

Journal Article · Thu Jan 24 00:00:00 EST 2019 · ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b20636· OSTI ID:1502799

Huie, Matthew M. ^[1]; Bock, David C. ^[2]; Bruck, Andrea M. ^[3]; Tallman, Killian R. ^[1]; Housel, Lisa M. ^[1]; Wang, Lei ^[3]; Thieme, Juergen ^[4]; Takeuchi, Kenneth J. ^[5]; Takeuchi, Esther S. ^[6]; Marschilok, Amy C. ^[6]

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1. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering
2. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate
3. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source II
5. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. Dept. of Chemistry
6. Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. Dept. of Chemistry; Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). Energy and Photon Sciences Directorate

Magnetite, Fe₃O₄, holds significant interest as a Li-ion anode material because of its high theoretical capacity (926 mAh/g) associated with multiple electron transfers per cation center. Notably, both crystallite size and agglomeration influence ion transport. This report probes the effects of crystallite size (12 and 29 nm) and agglomeration on the reactions involved with the formation of the surface electrolyte interphase on Fe₃O₄. Isothermal microcalorimetry (IMC) was used here to determine the parasitic heat evolved during lithiation by considering the total heat measured, cell polarization, and entropic contributions. Interestingly, the 29 nm Fe₃O₄-based electrodes produced more parasitic heat than the 12 nm samples (1346 vs 1155 J/g). This observation was explored using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) mapping in conjunction with spatially resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). SEM imaging of the electrodes revealed more agglomerates for the 12 nm material, affirmed by XRF maps. Further, XAS results suggest that Li⁺ transport is more restricted for the smaller crystallite size (12 nm) material, attributed to its greater degree of agglomeration. These results rationalize the IMC data, where agglomerates of the 12 nm material limit solid electrolyte interphase formation and parasitic heat generation during lithiation of Fe₃O₄.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties (m2mt); Stony Brook Univ., NY (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Science Foundation (NSF) (United States); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES) (SC-22)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0012673; SC0012704
• OSTI ID: 1502799
• Report Number(s): BNL--211424-2019-JAAM
• Journal Information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Journal Name: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 11; ISSN 1944-8244
• Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
aggregation
energy storage
isothermal microcalorimetry
lithium battery
magnetite
surface electrolyte interphase