| 1. |
- Chang, Ribooga, et al.
(författare)
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Deciphering the existence of hexagonal sodium zirconate CO2 sorbent
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Sodium zirconate (sodium zirconium oxide; Na2ZrO3) is amongst the most investigated carbon dioxide (CO2) sorbent. Na2ZrO3 is renowned for its high capture capacity and cyclic stability. It can effectively capture CO2 at temperatures that are found in industrial processes such as the manufacture of steel or cement. Na2ZrO3 is reported to adopt monoclinic, hexagonal, and cubic structures since it was first discussed in the 1960s. Researchers relied on the differences in the relative intensities between two peaks (2θ ~ 16.2 and 38.7 °) in the powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) pattern to determine the phase of this compound. It is also widely believed that the CO2 capture performance of Na2ZrO3 is related to the crystal structure, yet the crystal structure of hexagonal Na2ZrO3 has remained elusive. With the use of 3D electron diffraction (3D ED), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and PXRD, we show that the hexagonal Na2ZrO3 does not exist. The so-called hexagonal Na2ZrO3 is Na2ZrO3 with three different types of disorder. Furthermore, the two PXRD peaks (2θ ~ 16.2 and 38.7 °) cannot be used to distinguish the different phases of Na2ZrO3, as the changes in the PXRD pattern are related to the extent of structure disorder. Finally, we also show that the CO2 capture properties of Na2ZrO3 are related to the Na+ site occupancy between different Na2ZrO3 samples, and not differences in crystal structures. The findings from our work shows that the current literature discussion on the structure of Na2ZrO3 is misleading. In order to further develop Na2ZrO3 as well as other mixed-metal oxides for applications, their structures, as well as any disorder, needs be understood using the methods shown in this study.
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| 2. |
- Chien, Yu-Chuan, et al.
(författare)
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Development of operando XRD coin cells for lithium-sulfur batteries
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries has been regarded as one of the promising technology for the next generation of rechargeable batteries due to its high theoretical energy density (2600 Wh/kg [1]). Several works [2–7] on operando X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the Li-S system have been published; however, their experimental setups showed one or more of the following drawbacks. First, the amount of electrolyte was often not reported or would be considered too high for a common Li-S cell, which has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the behavior of the system [8]. Another issue is the non-uniform stack pressure and electron conductivity of the operando cell setup, whose effects were found by both experiments and simulations [9].This work aims to tackle with the above-mentioned issues by modifying commercial coin cells and using X-ray transparent metal, beryllium, as the spacers. By doing so, the electron conductivity and stack pressure can be expected to be uniform throughout the electrodes. The amount of electrolyte can also be precisely controlled since no vacuum-sealing is required for coin cells. A preliminary diffraction pattern obtained with the cell setup can be seen in Fig. 1. With electrochemical properties similar to common Li-S cells, ‘online’ electrochemical characterization techniques, e.g. Intermittent Current Interruption (ICI) method for following cell resistance [10], will be applicable with operando XRD, revealing more information about this complex system.Figure 1 XRD patterns of alpha-S and electrode material in the modified coin cell.References[1] J. Tan, et al., Nanoscale (2017) 19001–19016.[2] J. Nelson, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 134 (2012) 6337–6343.[3] N.A. Cañas, et al., J. Power Sources 226 (2013) 313–319.[4] S. Waluś, et al., Chem. Commun. 49 (2013) 7899.[5] M. a. Lowe, et al., RSC Adv. 4 (2014) 18347.[6] J. Kulisch, et al., Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 16 (2014) 18765–18771.[7] J. Conder, et al., Nat. Energy 2 (2017) 1–7.[8] M.J. Lacey, ChemElectroChem (2017) 1–9.[9] O.J. Borkiewicz, et al., J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 6 (2015) 2081–2085.[10] M.J. Lacey, et al., Chem. Commun. 51 (2015) 16502–16505.
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| 3. |
- Menon, Ashok S., et al.
(författare)
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A Crystallographic Reinvestigation of Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Despite substantial research interest, the crystallography of the promising Li-ion positive electrode material, Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2, remains disputed. The dispute is predicated on the description of the cationic arrangement in the structure, and multiple structure models have been proposed. This study attempts to provide a fresh perspective to this debate through a multi-scalar structural characterisation of Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2. Combining Bragg diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and magnetic measurements with reverse Monte Carlo analysis of total scattering data, a quantitative structural description of Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 is developed and the existing single- and multi-phase structural descriptions of this compound have been unified. Furthermore, the merits and drawbacks of each technique is evaluated with respect to the crystallography of Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 to explain the factors that have contributed to the lack of clarity pervading the structural description of this material. It is envisioned that a better understanding of the crystallography of Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 contributes to harnessing the electrochemical potential of this compound.
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| 4. |
- Menon, Ashok S.
(författare)
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Synthesis–Structure–Property Relationships in Li- and Mn-rich Layered Oxides
- 2021
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The commercialisation of Li-ion batteries over the last decade has provided additional impetus for the improvement of existing energy storage technologies. Towards this, a major portion of the global efforts includes exploratory research aimed at the development of new material chemistries. Aligning with this theme, this Thesis explores the synthesis–structure–property relationships in Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides, a cost-effective high-capacity material system that shows promise as a positive electrode material for future Li-ion batteries. The compositional and crystallographic diversity of Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides make them particularly susceptible to synthesis-dependent variations and exacerbates structural characterisation. Therefore, understanding how synthetic variations influence their structural and electrochemical properties is a crucial step in realising their potential as positive electrode materials.Even for simple compositions like Li2MnO3, dissimilar crystallographic ordering and particle morphologies are produced depending on whether a solid-state or sol-gel synthesis approach was implemented. Subsequently, due to the higher degree of structural disorder and larger surface area, the sol-gel sample exhibited higher initial electrochemical capacities. The structural features present in these compounds such as cation site-mixing and stacking faults, manifest over varying crystallographic regimes. Hence, complementary characterisation techniques that probe different structural length scales are necessary for an accurate structural characterisation of these compounds. This factor, together with their complex crystallography, have led to contradictory single- and multi-phase structure models being reported for complex Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides. By using a combination of diffraction, spectroscopic techniques and magnetic measurements it was discovered that Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2 can exist in both single- and multi-phase structural forms if synthesised through sol-gel and solid-state methods, respectively. Further studies following the same theme revealed that when synthesised under common laboratory conditions these compounds are metastable. Here, the composition and synthesis play a critical role in the thermodynamic and kinetic factors affecting the resultant phase, domain structure and degree of cationic order. Finally, to encompass all the structural features contained in Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides, a supercell-based structure model for Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides, using Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 as an example, is presented. Summing all the work together from the thesis, a critical evaluation of commonly used characterisation techniques is also provided as a guideline for future research in this field.
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| 5. |
- S. Menon, Ashok, et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis–Structure Relationships in Li- and Mn-rich Layered Oxides
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides are promising positive electrode materials for future Li-ion batteries. The coexistence of complex crystallographic features like cation-mixing and stacking faults make them highly susceptible to synthesis-induced crystallographic changes. Consequently, this has resulted in significant variations in the reported structure of these materials and exacerbated the difficulty in understanding the crystallography of these materials. Here, the effect of synthesis methods and annealing parameters on the average structure of three Li- and Mn-rich layered oxides—Li2MnO3, Li1.2Mn0.6Ni0.2O2 and Li1.2Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13O2—have been systematically investigated. Each compound is synthesized through two methods using four annealing protocols and the resultant structural changes are studied, to improve our understanding of the synthesis–structure relationships in these materials. Furthermore, synthesis-specific thermodynamic and kinetic factors governing the equilibrium crystallography of each composition are also explored. Improving our understanding of how the synthesis affects the pristine structure of these materials is an important step in developing these material systems for use as future positive electrode materials.
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