Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Qiyu Wang, Meng Zhu, Guorong Chen, Natalia Dudko, Yan Li, Hongjiang Liu, Liyi Shi, Gang Wu, Dengsong Zhang
Summary: A composite microsized Si anode is synthesized by constructing a unique polymer at a Si/C surface, which overcomes the challenges of poor electrical conductivity, serious volume expansion, and unstable solid electrolyte interface. The anode exhibits stable electrochemical performances and high capacity.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yoga Trianzar Malik, Seo-Yeon Shin, Jin Il Jang, Hyung Min Kim, Sangho Cho, Young Rag Do, Ju-Won Jeon
Summary: In this study, a self-healable and highly stretchable multifunctional binder for Si anodes is designed. The binder can repair cracks and damages of Si anodes during cycling, and the self-healing ability of the Si anode is demonstrated under practical battery operating conditions. The self-healable Si anode delivers a reversible capacity of 2312 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles and shows excellent rate capability.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Anhao Zuo, Ruqing Fang, Zhixuan Wu, Zhe Li
Summary: This study revisits the diffusion-limited C-rate (DLC) using a Pseudo-Two-Dimensional model and improves the analytical model by incorporating concentration-dependent liquid diffusion coefficient. The rate performance below DLC is not limited by electronic transports and charge transfer processes, but the discharge capacity may severely decay if the solid-state diffusion in the electroactive particles is too slow.
JOURNAL OF ENERGY STORAGE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Rongnan Guo, Dong Wang, Pan Ding, Yong Chen, Hanyu Zhao
Summary: A dual cross-linked binder (CPS) consisting of chemical covalent bonds and physical hydrogen bonds is developed to improve the cycling performance of lithium-sulfur batteries. The CPS effectively tolerates and buffers the volume change of active materials, maintains the cathode integrity, and immobilizes the lithium polysulfides. This results in accelerated reaction kinetics, enhanced lithium-ion diffusion, and high initial capacity and cycle stability.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yuhgene Liu, Congcheng Wang, Sun Geun Yoon, Sang Yun Han, John A. A. Lewis, Dhruv Prakash, Emily J. J. Klein, Timothy Chen, Dae Hoon Kang, Diptarka Majumdar, Rajesh Gopalaswamy, Matthew T. T. McDowell
Summary: Non-pre-lithiated aluminum-foil-based negative electrodes with engineered microstructures exhibit long-term cycling stability in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries, providing a possible route for improving high-energy-density batteries.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Stavros X. Drakopoulos, Thomas Cowell, Emma Kendrick
Summary: Low-environmental-impact binder systems are used for graphite-SiO (x) anodes with different physical characteristics. The study investigates the relationship between mass loading, porosity, state of charge, and ohmic and charge transfer resistances. The contribution of SiO (x) to reversible capacity decreases over cycles. An empirical model is presented to describe cycle life based on porosity and mass loading. The study explores the correlation between physical and electrochemical properties for maximum cycle life and faster screening of electrode formulations.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Weilong Ai, Niall Kirkaldy, Yang Jiang, Gregory Offer, Huizhi Wang, Billy Wu
Summary: In this study, an electrochemical composite electrode model was developed and validated for lithium-ion batteries with a silicon/graphite anode. The model was able to reproduce voltage hysteresis and demonstrate the interactions between graphite and silicon. This research revealed the effects of silicon additives and the impact of different composite electrodes on the performance of lithium-ion batteries.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rocio Barrio, Nieves Gonzalez, Alvaro Portugal, Carmen Morant, Jose Javier Gandia
Summary: Researchers propose using thin films based on silicon as electrodes in commercial lithium-ion batteries, which have higher storage capacity. By doping and optimizing the growth conditions, the stability and longevity of the batteries can be improved.
Article
Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Sang-Won Park, Jung Hoon Ha, Byung Won Cho, Heon-Jin Choi
Summary: This study evaluates uniformly carbon-coated Si nanosheets as effective anode materials for lithium-ion batteries, showing improved capacity, cycle performance, and approximately 100% coulombic efficiency.
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Man Yuan, Chenyang Meng, Ang Li, Bin Cao, Yue Dong, Dengke Wang, Xuewei Liu, Xiaohong Chen, Huaihe Song
Summary: A general multi-interface strategy towards densified carbon materials with enhanced electrochemical performance for both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries is proposed. The constructed interfaces between crystalline graphene and carbon matrix provide a pathway for volatile gas escape during pyrolysis and also a conductive highway for ions and electrons. The graphene/hard carbon spheres show high reversible capacities, high-rate performance, and low temperature properties, indicating their great potential application in practical batteries.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Tiansheng Mu, Yipeng Sun, Changhong Wang, Yang Zhao, Kieran Doyle-Davis, Jianneng Liang, Xulei Sui, Ruying Li, Chunyu Du, Pengjian Zuo, Geping Yin, Xueliang Sun
Summary: This study successfully establishes a stable artificial SEI on silicon anodes using molecular layer deposition, greatly improving the electrochemical performance and cycling stability of the anodes.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yaodong Ma, Pengqian Guo, Mengting Liu, Pu Cheng, Tianyao Zhang, Jiande Liu, Dequan Liu, Deyan He
Summary: Porous carbon coated silicon nanoparticles were prepared as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries to suppress the volume expansion effect of silicon and improve the infiltration of electrolyte and the diffusion of lithium ions. The mass ratio of the anode materials effectively controlled the specific capacities and reduced production cost.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhiming Zhou, Peirong Lin, Shiqiang Zhao, Huile Jin, Yudan Qian, Xi'an Chen, Xinyue Tang, Qingcheng Zhang, Daying Guo, Shun Wang
Summary: This study synthesizes cuboid-like anhydrous CoC2O4 particles and investigates their application in lithium-ion and lithium-sulfur batteries. The results demonstrate that CoC2O4 can serve as a high-performance electrode material, delivering high reversible capacity, good rate capability, and outstanding cycling stability.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Michael. J. Lain, Emma Kendrick
Summary: Commercial lithium ion cells were disassembled for electrode evaluation, showing three limiting processes during high rate pulse power tests, and specific charge and discharge parameters were identified for different power levels.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Sung Eun Wang, Min Ji Kim, Jin Woong Lee, Jinyoung Chun, Junghyun Choi, Kwang Chul Roh, Yun Chan Kang, Dae Soo Jung
Summary: In this study, a multifunctional TiO2-x/TiO1-yNy (TTN) coating material is synthesized and applied on Si anodes to improve their electrochemical performance. The TTN coating provides high ionic and electrical conductivity, as well as improved mechanical strength to alleviate volume change and capacity fading of Si anodes. The Si@TTN anodes exhibit excellent electrochemical properties, including high charge capacity, good cycling stability, and enhanced rate performance at high current densities.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
David J. Arnot, Matthew B. Lim, Nelson S. Bell, Noah B. Schorr, Ryan C. Hill, Andrew Meyer, Yang-Tse Cheng, Timothy N. Lambert
Summary: Zinc has the potential for widespread use as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective anode material, with a self-assembled Nafion-coated Celgard 3501 (NC-Celgard) separator shown to enable unprecedented cycle life of a Zn anode in alkaline electrolyte. The highly selective diffusion properties of the Nafion coating prevent shorting by dendrites and inhibit redistribution of the active material.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Physics, Applied
Jacob L. Hempel, Michael D. Wells, Sean Parkin, Yang-Tse Cheng, Aron J. Huckaba
Summary: This study investigated the mechanical properties of hybrid organic-inorganic halometallates, finding that while they have a hardness to modulus ratio similar to metals, they exhibit brittle fracture behavior. The research highlights the importance of studying material fracture toughness before considering their suitability for flexible device applications.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Ryan Hill, Amanda S. Peretti, Leo J. Small, Erik D. Spoerke, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of pure MMT and majority MMT/polyethylene composites pressed into dense pellets were examined. Utilizing characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy, important structure-property relationships in the clay-based materials were revealed.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Wenqi Li, Dali Qian, Doo Young Kim, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jian Shi
Summary: This study reports the synthesis of a low-cost three-dimensional carbon/silicon nanoparticle composite material using lignin as a replacement for conventional expensive and toxic solvents and binders in lithium-ion battery manufacturing. The effects of lignin pyrolysis chemistry and processing conditions on the structure, mechanical property, and electrochemical performance of the synthesized electrode materials were quantitatively investigated. The results suggest that increasing pyrolysis temperature leads to the evolution of surface bonding interaction from pristine Si to -Si-O-C-, and then to -O=Si=O-, enhancing the electrochemical performance of the Si composite electrode. Pyrolysis-GC-MS can be used as a tool to predict the optimal pyrolysis temperature or tailor the properties of the synthesized composite electrodes.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ritu Sahore, Guang Yang, Xi Chelsea Chen, Wan-Yu Tsai, Jianlin Li, Nancy J. Dudney, Andrew Westover
Summary: The research team demonstrated a bilayer polymer electrolyte design for high-energy-density solid-state battery cathodes. One electrolyte layer provides dendritic resistance while the other ensures seamless contact with the cathode during cycling. This approach presents a new pattern for enabling high-energy-density cathodes.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Ambrose Seo, Andrew Meyer, Sujan Shrestha, Ming Wang, Xingcheng Xiao, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: The surface of lithium metal contains surface layers composed of lithium oxides and lithium carbonates, even after rigorous cleaning and polishing. When exposed to room air, the surface layer grows at a rate of approximately 24 nm/min. This suggests that achieving a surface-layer-free lithium metal is challenging and can impact the interface in lithium metal batteries.
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Zhiming Liang, Tianyi Li, Holden Chi, Joseph Ziegelbauer, Kai Sun, Ming Wang, Wei Zhang, Tuo Liu, Yang-Tse Cheng, Zonghai Chen, Xiaohong Gayden, Chunmei Ban
Summary: This work presents a new manufacturing method using a nonthermal plasma to create inter-particle binding without using any polymeric binding materials, enabling solvent-free manufacturing electrodes with any electrochemistry of choice. The cold-plasma-coating technique enables fabricating electrodes with thickness (>200 mu m), high mass loading (>30 mg cm(-2)), high peel strength, and the ability to print lithium-ion batteries in an arbitrary geometry.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Anita Li, Jacob L. L. Hempel, Michael P. P. Balogh, Yang-Tse Cheng, Alan I. I. Taub
Summary: This study investigates the role of polyimide binder in silicon microparticle electrodes. The research reveals that an optimal binder weight fraction is needed to balance the trade-off between capacity retention and rate performance. The findings provide important design principles for the optimization of binder content in silicon electrode formulations.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Ming Wang, Kubra Uzun, Bradley R. R. Frieberg, Jiazhi Hu, Anita Li, Xiaosong Huang, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: Thick NMC-LMO blend positive electrodes were made using dry-powder electrostatic spray deposition (ESD) to eliminate the need for solvents. The effects of two dry powder mixing processes prior to ESD on the electrodes were investigated using peel tests, electrochemical techniques, and microscopic analysis. Electrodes made using high-speed mixing had a dense carbon black/binder layer, limiting their contact area with the electrolyte and reducing ionic conductivity. On the other hand, electrodes made using ball mill mixing exhibited a porous structure, allowing for more contact between the active material and electrolyte, thereby improving ionic conductivity and reducing charge transfer resistance.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Ryan Hill, Amanda Peretti, Leo J. Small, Erik D. Spoerke, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: High-conductivity solid electrolytes like NaSICON are becoming increasingly important for safe, reliable battery-based energy storage. However, the demands for high current density, low temperature operation, and long-duration storage challenge the limitations of solid electrolytes. This study investigates the penetration of molten sodium into NaSICON at high current densities.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Runming Tao, Bryan Steinhoff, Kuebra Uzun, Ben Ben La Riviere, Kahla Sardo, Brendan Skelly, Ryan Hill, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jianlin Li
Summary: Dry processing has advantages over conventional slurry-based processing in electrode fabrication, improving the mechanical and electrochemical properties. Controlling the electrode porosity can enhance the fracture behavior of the electrode.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Electrochemistry
Bhamiti Sharma, Haidar Y. Alolaywi, Bing Tan, David Shepard, Yunkui Li, Yuhao Liao, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: This study demonstrates that a porous zeolite coating on a commercial PP separator can improve electrolyte wettability and through plane ionic conductivity, resulting in more uniform Li flux. Consequently, the coated separator can delay dendrite penetration, enhancing cell performance and safety.
JOURNAL OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Makua C. Vin-Nnajiofor, Wenqi Li, Seth Debolt, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jian Shi
Summary: This study aims to characterize the lignin-rich endocarp biomass and identify features relevant to feedstock preprocessing and logistics. Chemical composition, cellular structure, and mechanical properties of walnut and peach endocarps were investigated. The milling energy consumption was correlated to screen size, lignin content, bulk density, and mechanical properties.
JOURNAL OF THE ASABE
(2022)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Makua C. Vin-Nnajiofor, Wenqi Li, Seth Debolt, Yang-Tse Cheng, Jian Shi
Summary: The holistic utilization of lignocellulosic biomass by converting lignin to high-value products and cellulose and hemicelluloses to biofuel enhances the economic viability of a biorefinery. This study demonstrates the synthesis of a three-dimensional carbon/silicon composite from silicon nanoparticles and lignin from endocarp biomass obtained through different pretreatment methods. The composite electrodes derived from endocarp lignin exhibit superior electrochemical performance in a lithium-ion battery setup.
APPLIED ENGINEERING IN AGRICULTURE
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jacob L. Hempel, Andrew Meyer, Ryan Hill, Yang-Tse Cheng
Summary: Measuring the crack-length generated from indentation experiments is a common method to probe the fracture toughness of brittle materials in materials research. However, when the cracks are too small to be accurately measured, an energy-based approach has been proposed as an alternative method.
MRS COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)