In operando phase transitions and Lithium ion transport in LiFePO4

Chemical energy storage in Li-ion batteries is a key technology for the future renewable society. Their energy and power density is largely determined by electrode materials that are able to host lithium in their crystal structure. Aiming at faster and more efficient energy storage, one of the key objectives in Li-ion batteries is to improve the...

Lithium and Sodium Insertion in Nanostructured Titanates: Experiments and simulations

Nanostructured materials are featured by providing a variety of favourable electrical properties, as the reduced ion and electron transport paths enable significant enhancement on (de)intercalation rates and hence high power. For TiO2 anatase, nano-sizing results in a curved open cell voltage profile with a much shorter plateau region in...

A Template for Enhanced Lithium Ion Battery Electrodes

Dictated by exhausting sources of conventional fossil fuels, their irreversible damage on environment, international conflicts for oil resources – distressing global economy, worldwide research has focused towards developing alternate, but sustainable, sources of energy generation and storage to meet global energy demands and emission-free...

Advanced Thin Layer Deposition of Materials for Li-ion Batteries via Electrospray

The remarkable physicist Richard P. Feynman once said, more than fifty years ago: ”the principles of physics, as far as I can see, do not speak against the possibility of maneuvering things atom by atom. It is not an attempt to violate any laws; it is something, in principle, that can be done; but in practice, it has not been done because we are...

Charge carrier transport at the nanoscale: Electron and hole transport in self-assembled discotic liquid crystals: Mobile ionic charges in nanocomposite solid electrolytes

This thesis explores some fundamental aspects of charge carrier transport at the nanoscale. The study is divided in two parts. In the first part, the structural, dynamical and vibrational properties of discotic liquid crystals are studied in relation to the potential of these self-assembled ‘mesophases’ to form molecular conducting wires....

Interaction between High-Voltage Cathode Materials and Ionic Liquids for Novel Li-Ion Batteries

The fast-growing market on electronic portable devices is possibly due to the development of Li-ion batteries. Besides, such batteries are the most promising candidates as energy storage media in (hybrid) electric vehicles, in the near future. However, improvements on electrochemical performances and on safety need to be achieved. With respect...

Electrospray-assisted synthesis methods of nanostructured materials for Li-ion batteries

This PhD thesis focuses on the synthesis of nanostructured materials via an aerosol-assisted route based on electrospraying of liquid precursors. Electrospraying is a powerful technique for the production of nearly-monodispersed, highly-charged droplets. The possibility of tailoring the droplet size, as well as coupling the process to different...

Lithium insertion in nanostructured titanates

Upon nano-sizing of insertion compounds several significant changes in Li-insertion behavior have been observed for sizes below approximately 50 nm. Although the origins of the phenomena are interrelated, the changes can be divided in three main observations. (1) The formation of new phases, leading to enhanced reactivity and extended capacities...

Synthesis and characterisation of tin and antimony nano-compounds for lithium battery applications

The growing interest during the past decades for mobile devices, like laptops, cellular phones, MP3 players, etc., is impressive. moreover, the concerns about climate changes have increased the worldwide interest for electrical and hybrid vehicles and intermittent sustainable energies, like solar and wind energy. These development have...

Characterization of Li4Ti5O12 and LiMn2O4 spinel materials treated with aqueous acidic solutions

In this thesis an investigation of two spinel materials, Li4Ti5O12 and LiMn2O4 used for Li-ion battery applications is performed interms of formation and reactivity towards acidic solutions. Subsequent characterizations such as structural, magnetic, chemical, and electrochemical characterizations are performed and discussed.

Energy matching: Key towards the design of sustainable photovoltaic powered products

The starting point of this dissertation is the observation that today a vast amount of 'PV powered' products are already on the market. However, in these PV powered products quite often the choice of PV cells seems random and PV cells function mostly as add-on units to give the product a 'green' energy image. Because of this 'add-on' approach,...

Synthesis and characterization of inverse spinels, intercalation materials for Li-ion batteries

Chapter 2 describes the solid-state synthesis of LiNiVO4 and LiCoVO4. The materials are prepared at 800C and are phase pure, as shown by X-ray diffraction and have the inverse spinel structure. Due to the solid-state synthesis the particle size is quite large and the particle size distribution is large, between 0.1mm and 10 mm, even after ball...

Structure and Dynamics of Lithium in Anastase TiO2

A fundamental study on materials for Li-ion batteries

In April 1997 the program "Decentralized Production and Storage for Large-Scale Application of Renewable Energy" of the Delft Interfaculty Research Centre (DIOC) was launched. In this program various groups from several Faculties of the Delft University of Technology studied the feasibility of large scale application of renewable energy. Energy...

High Tc Ceramic Superconductors in Chemical Devices