High entropy liquid electrolytes for lithium batteries

High-entropy alloys/compounds have large configurational entropy by introducing multiple components, showing improved functional properties that exceed those of conventional materials. However, how increasing entropy impacts the thermodynamic/kinetic properties in liquids that are ambiguous. Here we show this strategy in liquid electrolytes...

Quantification of the Li-ion diffusion over an interface coating in all-solid-state batteries via NMR measurements

A key challenge for solid-state-batteries development is to design electrode-electrolyte interfaces that combine (electro)chemical and mechanical stability with facile Li-ion transport. However, while the solid-electrolyte/electrode interfacial area should be maximized to facilitate the transport of high electrical currents on the one hand,...

High dielectric barium titanate porous scaffold for efficient Li metal cycling in anode-free cells

Li metal batteries are being intensively investigated as a means to achieve higher energy density when compared with standard Li-ion batteries. However, the formation of dendritic and mossy Li metal microstructures at the negative electrode during stripping/plating cycles causes electrolyte decomposition and the formation of electronically...

Interface chemistry of an amide electrolyte for highly reversible lithium metal batteries

Metallic lithium is a promising anode to increase the energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries. Despite extensive efforts, detrimental reactivity of lithium metal with electrolytes and uncontrolled dendrite growth remain challenging interconnected issues hindering highly reversible Li-metal batteries. Herein, we report a rationally...

Revealing operando transformation dynamics in individual Li-ion electrode crystallites using X-Ray Microbeam Diffraction

For the development of next-generation batteries it is important to understand the structural changes in electrodes under realistic non-equilibrium conditions. With microbeam X-ray diffraction it is possible to probe many individual electrode grains concurrently under non-equilibrium conditions in realistic battery systems. This makes it...

Operando Neutron Depth Profiling to Determine the Spatial Distribution of Li in Li-ion Batteries

Neutron Depth Profiling (NDP) allows determination of the spatial distribution of specific isotopes, via neutron capture reactions. In a capture reaction charged particles with fixed kinetic energy are formed, where their energy loss through the material of interest can be used to provide the depth of the original isotope. As lithium-6 has a...

Improving reversible capacities of high-surface lithium insertion materials – the case of amorphous TiO2

Chemisorbed water and solvent molecules and their reactivity with components from the electrolyte in high-surface nano-structured electrodes remains a contributing factor toward capacity diminishment on cycling in lithium ion batteries due to the limit in maximum annealing temperature. Here, we report a marked improvement in the capacity...