Li4Ti5O12 is well known to be a safe and efficient anode material for Li-ion batteries. A metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process has been developed for the synthesis of Li4Ti5O12 thin film anodes on planar and 3D substrates. The influences of various deposition parameters, including precursor flow rates and post-annealing temperatures, have been investigated by material and electrochemical analyses. Li4Ti5O12 thin films deposited at the optimized process parameters showed a high crystallinity and high electrochemical activity. A reversible storage capacity of 151 mAh/g was achieved at a current of 0.5 C, corresponding to 86.3% of the theoretical specific capacity of Li4Ti5O12. Up to almost 600 cycles, the electrodes showed no significant capacity loss. Furthermore, the deposited thin film anodes also showed excellent rate performance. Compared to the storage capacity at 0.5 C, 93% of the capacity was maintained at 10 C. Thin films were also deposited on highly structured substrates to investigate the uniformity and electrochemical performance. With the same footprint area, the 3D Li4Ti5O12 film anode showed a 2.5 times higher storage capacity than planar electrode.@en

This short communication presents a method to measure the integral temperature of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Based on electrochemical impedance measurements at OLEDs, a non-zero intercept frequency (NZIF) can be determined which is related to the OLED temperature. The NZIF is defined as the frequency at which the imaginary part of the impedance is equal to a predefined (non-zero) constant. The advantage of using an impedance-based temperature indication method through an NZIF is that no hardware temperature sensors are required and that temperature measurements can be performed relatively fast. An experimental analysis reveals that the NZIF is clearly temperature dependent and, moreover, also DC current dependent. Since the NZIF can readily be measured this impedance-based temperature indication method is therefore simple and convenient for many applications using OLEDs and offers an alternative for traditional temperature sensing.@en

Temperature measurements of Li-ion batteries are important for assisting Battery Management Systems in controlling highly relevant states, such as State-of-Charge and State-of-Health. In addition, temperature measurements are essential to prevent dangerous situations and to maximize the performance and cycle life of batteries. However, due to thermal gradients, which might quickly develop during operation, fast and accurate temperature measurements can be rather challenging. For a proper selection of the temperature measurement method, aspects such as measurement range, accuracy, resolution, and costs of the method are important. After providing a brief overview of the working principle of Li-ion batteries, including the heat generation principles and possible consequences, this review gives a comprehensive overview of various temperature measurement methods that can be used for temperature indication of Li-ion batteries. At present, traditional temperature measurement methods, such as thermistors and thermocouples, are extensively used. Several recently introduced methods, such as impedance-based temperature indication and fiber Bragg-grating techniques, are under investigation in order to determine if those are suitable for large-scale introduction in sophisticated battery-powered applications.@en

Like all rechargeable battery systems, conventional Li-ion batteries (LIB) inevitably suffer from capacity losses during operation. This also holds for all-solid-state LIB. In this contribution an in operando neutron depth profiling method is developed to investigate the degradation mechanism of all-solid-state, thin film Si–Li3PO4–LiCoO2 batteries. Important aspects of the long-term degradation mechanisms are elucidated. It is found that the capacity losses in these thin film batteries are mainly related to lithium immobilization in the solid-state electrolyte, starting to grow at the anode/electrolyte interface during initial charging. The Li-immobilization layer in the electrolyte is induced by silicon penetration from the anode into the solid-state electrolyte and continues to grow at a lower rate during subsequent cycling. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth profiling and transmission electron microscopy analyses confirm the formation of such immobilization layer, which favorably functions as an ionic conductor for lithium ions. As a result of the immobilization process, the amount of free moveable lithium ions is reduced, leading to the pronounced storage capacity decay. Insights gained from this research shed interesting light on the degradation mechanisms of thin film, all-solid-state LIB and facilitate potential interfacial modifications which finally will lead to substantially improved battery performance.@en

Hydrogen absorption by a thin Mg2Ni film capped with Pd results in the nucleation of the Mg2NiH4 phase at the film/substrate interface. On further hydrogenation, a self-organized two-layer system consisting of a Mg2NiH0.3/Mg2NiH4 bottom-layer and a Mg2NiH0.3 top-layer is formed. This leads to an intermediate optical black state in Mg2Ni thin films, which transforms from metallic/reflective to semiconducting/transparent upon hydrogenation. This hydrogen absorption behavior is completely unexpected, since the hydrogen enters the film through the Pd-capped film surface. To explain the preferential nucleation of Mg2NiH4 at the substrate/film interface, we determine the chemical homogeneity of these thin films by RBS and SIMS. Furthermore by STM, TEM and SEM, we analyze the microstructure. We find that up to a film thickness of 50 nm, the film consists of small grains and clusters of small grains. On further growth, a columnar structure develops. We propose that the nucleation barrier for the formation of the Mg2NiH4 phase is smaller for the small loosely packed grains at the interface, while the columnar grain boundaries promote the hydrogen diffusion to the substrate.@en

X-Ray diffraction and electrochemical (de)hydrogenation were performed in situ to monitor the symmetry of the unit cells of MgyTi 100-y thin film alloys (70 ≤ y ≤ 90 at.% Mg) along the pressure-composition isotherms at room temperature. The diffraction patterns show that the crystal structures of all as-deposited alloys have a hexagonal closed packed symmetry. Inserting hydrogen transforms the structure to a body centered tetragonal structure for Mg90Ti10, whereas the unit cells of Mg70Ti30 and Mg80Ti20 transform into a face centered cubic symmetry. The structural change of the hydrides along with the ability to rapidly (de)hydrogenate the films emphasize the influence of the symmetry of the host lattice on the hydrogen transport properties. The lattice spacings of the unit cell of Mg90Ti 10Hx as a function of hydrogen content do not change much in the phase transformation region, indicating that only the fractions of the phases change. Remarkably, the lattice spacings found for Mg70Ti 30Hx in the two phase coexistence region reveal that not only the fractions but also the Mg-to-Ti ratio of both phases continuously change. Evidently, there is a large spread in the thermodynamic stability of the available sites for hydrogen. Since the X-ray diffraction patterns rule out large scale segregation, the results imply a nanostructured alloy with Ti-poor and Ti-rich regions and illustrate that the Mg and Ti atoms in Mg 70Ti30 are not randomly distributed.@en

Mg-Ti-H thin films are found to have very attractive optical properties: they absorb 87% of the solar radiation in the hydrogenated state and only 32% in the metallic state. Furthermore, in the absorbing state Mg-Ti-H has a low emissivity; at 400 K only 10% of blackbody radiation is emitted. The transition between both optical states is fast, robust, and reversible. The sum of these properties highlights the applicability of such materials as switchable smart coatings in solar collectors.@en

The structural, optical, and electrical transformations induced by hydrogen absorption and/or desorption in Mg-Ti thin films prepared by co-sputtering of Mg and Ti are investigated. Highly reflective in the metallic state, the films become highly absorbing upon H absorption. The reflector-to-absorber transition is fast, robust, and reversible over many cycles. Such a highly absorbing state hints at the coexistence of a metallic and a semiconducting phase. It is, however, not simply a composite material consisting of independent Mg H2 and Ti H2 grains. By continuously monitoring the structure during H uptake, we obtain data that are compatible with a coherent structure. The average structure resembles rutile Mg H2 at high Mg content and is fluorite otherwise. Of crucial importance in preserving the reversibility and the coherence of the system upon hydrogen cycling is the accidental equality of the molar volume of Mg and Ti H2. The present results point toward a rich and unexpected chemistry of Mg-Ti-H compounds.@en