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Title: How voltage drops are manifested by lithium ion configurations at interfaces and in thin films on battery electrodes

Journal Article · · Journal of Physical Chemistry. C
 [1];  [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Battery electrode surfaces are generally coated with electronically insulating solid films of thickness 1-50 nm. Both electrons and Li+ can move at the electrode–surface film interface in response to the voltage, which adds complexity to the “electric double layer” (EDL). We also apply Density Functional Theory (DFT) to investigate how the applied voltage is manifested as changes in the EDL at atomic length scales, including charge separation and interfacial dipole moments. Illustrating examples include Li3PO4, Li2CO3, and LixMn2O4 thin films on Au(111) surfaces under ultrahigh vacuum conditions. Adsorbed organic solvent molecules can strongly reduce voltages predicted in vacuum. We propose that manipulating surface dipoles, seldom discussed in battery studies, may be a viable strategy to improve electrode passivation. We also distinguish the computed potential governing electrons, which is the actual or instantaneous voltage, and the “lithium cohesive energy”-based voltage governing Li content widely reported in DFT calculations, which is a slower-responding self-consistency criterion at interfaces. Furthermore, this distinction is critical for a comprehensive description of electrochemical activities on electrode surfaces, including Li+ insertion dynamics, parasitic electrolyte decomposition, and electrodeposition at overpotentials.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Nanostructures for Electrical Energy Storage (NEES)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000; SC0001160
OSTI ID:
1235272
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-2257J; 579438
Journal Information:
Journal of Physical Chemistry. C, Vol. 119; ISSN 1932-7447
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 48 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (6)

Kinetics‐Controlled Degradation Reactions at Crystalline LiPON/Li x CoO 2 and Crystalline LiPON/Li‐Metal Interfaces journal March 2018
Influence of electric fields on metal self-diffusion barriers and its consequences on dendrite growth in batteries journal December 2019
First-principles study on thermodynamic stability of the hybrid interfacial structure of LiMn 2 O 4 cathode and carbonate electrolyte in Li-ion batteries journal January 2018
Review on modeling of the anode solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) for lithium-ion batteries journal March 2018
Exploring chemical speciation at electrified interfaces using detailed continuum models journal January 2019
Kinetics-Controlled Degradation Reactions at Crystalline LiPON/Li(x)CoO(2) and Crystalline LiPON/Li-metal Interfaces text January 2018

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