Operando transmission electron microscopy of battery cycling: thickness dependent breaking of TiO₂ coating on Si/SiO₂ nanoparticles

Conformal coating of silicon (Si) anode particles is a common strategy for improving their mechanical integrity, to mitigate battery capacity fading due to particle volume expansion, which can result in particle crumbling due to lithiation induced strain and excessive solid-electrolyte interface formation. Here, we use operando transmission...

Operando Transmission Electron Microscopy Study of All-Solid-State Battery Interface: Redistribution of Lithium among Interconnected Particles

With operando transmission electron microscopy visualizing the solid-solid electrode-electrolyte interface of silicon active particles and lithium oxide solid electrolyte as a model system, we show that (de)lithiation (battery cycling) does not require all particles to be in direct contact with electrolytes across length scales of a few...

Accessing lithium−oxygen battery discharge products in their native environments via transmission electron microscopy grid electrode

High-fidelity and facile ex situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterization of lithium−oxygen (Li−O₂) batteries is still limited by challenges in preserving the native environment of Li−O₂ discharge products. The extreme reactivity and moisture sensitivity of the discharge products means that they are...

Facile Synthesis toward the Optimal Structure-Conductivity Characteristics of the Argyrodite Li₆PS₅Cl Solid-State Electrolyte

The high Li-ion conductivity of the argyrodite Li₆PS₅Cl makes it a promising solid electrolyte candidate for all-solid-state Li-ion batteries. For future application, it is essential to identify facile synthesis procedures and to relate the synthesis conditions to the solid electrolyte material performance. Here, a...

Lithium Storage in Amorphous TiO2 Nanoparticles

Amorphous titanium oxide nanoparticles were prepared from titanium isopropoxide. In situ measurements reveal an extraordinary high capacity of 810 mAh/g on the first discharge. Upon cycling at a charge/discharge rate of 33.5 mA/g, this capacity gradually decreases to 200 mAh/g after 50 cycles. The origin of this fading was investigated using X...

Size Effects in Li4+xTi5O12 Spinel