Unveiling Structural Evolution and Charge Transport Mechanisms of Energy Storage Materials via Multi-Modal Operando Techniques

POSTER

Abstract

Global energy storage use is predicted to grow more than 10-fold by 2040, however current battery technologies face rising concerns about their scale up costs, societal and environmental impact, and safety, motivating research into alternative battery chemistries. Understanding how these unique battery chemistries work is crucial to their implementation, with innovation driven by our understanding of material properties. Advanced characterization techniques, such as operando X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD), and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), provide a synergistic investigation of nanostructured materials, which in turn allows for a unique perspective into their chemical and physical properties. We conducted multi-modal operando studies to determine the storage and degradation mechanism(s) in various battery chemistries, including lithium ion, lithium-sulfur, and aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion with water-in-salt electrolytes. Understanding how battery materials change during cycling and their intrinsic limitations, will enable scientists to design more efficient, high-performance materials for battery systems.

*This work was supported as part of the Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties, an Energy Frontier Research Center supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences via grant #DE-SC0012673. This research used beamline 7-BM of the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven National Laboratory and beamline 6-BM of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facilities operated for the DOE Office of Science. The electron microscopy measurements used resources of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, which is a U.S. DOE Office of Science Facility, at Brookhaven National Laboratory under Contract No. DESC0012704. M. R. D. acknowledges the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship (GAANN). E. S. T. acknowledges the William and Jane Knapp Chair in Energy and the Environment.

Publication: Lutz, D.M.ǂ, Dunkin, M.R.ǂ, Tallman, K.R., Wang, L., Housel, L.H., Yang, S., Zhang, B., Liu, P., Bock, D.C., Zhu, Y., Marschilok, A.C., Takeuchi, E.S., Takeuchi, K.J., Local and Bulk Probe of Vanadium-Substituted α-Manganese Oxide (α-KxVyMn8–yO16) Lithium Electrochemistry. Inorganic Chem, 2021, 60, 10398-10414. ǂequivalent contributions. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.1c00954
Wang, L., Yan, S., Quilty, C.D., Kuang, J., Dunkin, M.R., Ehrlich, S.N., Ma, L., Takeuchi, K.J., Takeuchi, E.S., Marschilok, A.C., Achieving Stable Molybdenum Oxide Cathodes for Aqueous Zinc‐Ion Batteries in Water‐in‐Salt Electrolyte. Adv. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 2002080. DOI: 10.1002/admi.202170052

Presenters

  • Mikaela R Dunkin

    • Stony Brook University (SUNY)

Authors

  • Mikaela R Dunkin

    • Stony Brook University (SUNY)

  • Lei Wang

    • Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Jason Kuang

    • Stony Brook University

  • Kenneth J Takeuchi

    • Stony Brook University

  • Esther S Takeuchi

    • Stony Brook University

  • Amy C Marschilok

    • Stony Brook University