| 1. |
- Josefsson, Ida, 1984-
(författare)
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Structure and dynamics in solution – the core electron perspective
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis is based on theoretical studies of the molecular and electronic structure of solvated ions and molecules. Very detailed information of the system can be obtained from theoretical calculations, but a realistic model is dependent on an accurate computational method. Accurate calculations of core level electronic spectra, and evaluation of the modeling against experiments, are central parts of this work. The main tools used for characterization of the systems are high-level quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular components in solutions are involved in many key processes converting sunlight into chemical or electrical energy. Transition metal complexes, with their pronounced absorption in the visible light region of the electromagnetic spectrum, are core components in various energy conversion applications, and the iodide/triiodide redox couple is a commonly used electrolyte. The local structure of the electronic valence in transition metal complexes and the details of the solvation mechanisms of electrolyte solutions are investigated through the combination of computational modeling and core level spectroscopy. The studies of model systems show that interactions between the solute and solvent are important for the electronic structure, and knowledge of the details in model systems studied can be relevant for energy conversion applications. Furthermore, high-level quantum chemistry has been applied for interpreting time-resolved spectra, where the electronic structure of a metal complex is followed during a photoinduced chemical reaction in solution.With advanced modeling in combination with recent experimental developments, more complex problems than previously addressed can be dissected.
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| 2. |
- Källquist, Ida
(författare)
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Interfaces in Li-ion batteries seen through photoelectron spectroscopy
- 2019
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- To accommodate the need for greener energy solutions renewable energy sources aswell as reliable energy storage is a prerequisite. For the latter, high energy densitybatteries with long-term cycling stability are necessary. The cycling properties of abattery is to a large extent dependent on the functionality of the battery interfaces. Assuch, there is a need to understand the reactions occurring between the electrode andelectrolyte, and to limit those that are detrimental to the battery performance. Thetopic of this thesis is these interfaces in Li-ion batteries seen through photoelectronspectroscopy (PES).PES is due to its surface and chemical sensitivity one of the most suitable techniquesto study battery interfaces. In this thesis, PES is used to follow the oxidationstate and chemical environment of different atoms to understand the reactions occurringin the battery. This work uses a combination of soft and hard X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy as well X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to investigate the degradationmechanisms in high energy density cathode materials. The materials investigatedare in the class of Li-rich disordered rock-salts (DRS) and provide very highinitial capacities, but unfortunately lacks in cycling stability. In this thesis it is shownthat the reason for this is an unstable surface, possibly related to the occurrence ofanionic redox in the material, leading to breakdown of both electrolyte and electrodematerial. In addition, it is shown that the interface stability can be improved by choosingtransition metals that promotes the DRS structure and thus increases the chemicalstability of the material and long term cycling of the battery.Even though ex situ measurements provide many insights into the properties ofbattery interphases, there is still a need for operando measurement to completely answerthe puzzling question of their full functionality. In this thesis first steps towardsoperando measurements are taken by identifying the measurements conditions necessaryto probe a battery electrolyte with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy(APPES) and a thorough characterization of a typical battery electrolyte is performed.The results show that the liquid can be stabilized by using the solvent as ambient gas,and also that care should be taken to avoid radiation damage when synchrotron lightis used. For the electrolyte characterization it is shown that a salt enrichment of particularlyLi+ and ionic fluoride is found at the droplet surface. These results are crucialto be able to single out contributions from the interphase in future operando measurements.When the method of operando APPES has matured and can be performed routinely,this could possibly be the key needed to understand how the interfaces in batteriescan be controlled to unlock the potential of stable high capacity materials infuture batteries.
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| 3. |
- Massel, Felix, 1986-
(författare)
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Anion redox processes in novel battery cathode materials investigated by soft X-ray spectroscopy
- 2019
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- This thesis presents experimental investigations of the electronic structure of emerging and novel cathode materials used in lithium- and sodium-ion batteries. The investigated materials include a range of oxide materials containing the elements nickel and manganese. Central goals are to find fundamental explanations for favorable, respectively, unfavorable electrochemical cycling behavior and to arrive at a better understanding of the roles that the different elemental constituents of the compounds play. The experiments are based on the application of X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) and Resonant Inelastic X-ray Scattering (RIXS) in the soft X-ray region and have been performed at synchrotron radiation facilities such as The Advanced Light Source (USA), The Swiss Light Source (Switzerland) and SPring-8 (Japan). XAS and RIXS of spinel LiNi0.44Mn1.56O4 at the O K-edge as well as the Ni and Mn L-edges were measured for two different crystal structures, namely, transition-metal-ordered and -disordered, respectively. The results show that both Ni and O contribute strongly as redox centers for the charge compensation during electrochemical cycling. The Ni L-RIXS spectra show evidence of a more stable Ni--O bond in the disordered material. In the layered manganese oxide materials Li[Li0.2Ni0.2Mn0.6]O2, Na0.67[Mg0.28Mn0.72]O2, and Na0.78[Li0.25Mn0.75]O2, as well as the disordered Li1.9Mn0.95O2.05F0.95 one observes that reversible O redox leads to two distinct features in O K-RIXS. Both features resonate in a narrow incident energy range suggesting that localized O hole states are formed, one close to the elastic peak and the other as a strong emission peak at an energy loss of about 8 eV. These features appear reversibly on the voltage plateau of the charge-discharge curve and can be used to identify a certain type of O redox reactions.The work also includes investigations that compare two different compositions of the structurally related material Li2MnO3 grown epitaxially as thin films. Evidence is found for anionic activity during the initial cycle that is of a different kind than the above as no evidence for localized O holes is found. Instead, excess Li in the transition metal layer is shown to lead to a more rapid loss of covalency in the Mn--O bonds.In short, this work presents some of the first explorations into the role of different types of anionic redox centers in cathodes, by means of XAS and RIXS thereby also demonstrating the utility and power of synchrotron based techniques for gaining atomic-level understanding of battery electrode materials.
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| 4. |
- Oscarsson, Johan, 1984-
(författare)
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Towards Mixed Molecular Layers for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells : A Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The increasing demand for renewable energy has led to substantial research on different solar cell technologies. The dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) is a technology utilizing dye molecules for light absorption. Dye molecules are adsorbed to a mesoporous semiconductor surface and after light absorption in the dye, charge separation occurs at this interface. Traditionally, DSCs have used layers of single dye species, but in recent efforts to enhance power conversion efficiency, more complex molecular layers have been designed to increase the light absorption. For example, the most efficient DSCs use a combination of two dye molecules, and such dye co-adsorption is studied in this thesis.A key to highly efficient DSCs is to understand the dye/semiconductor interface from a molecular perspective. One way of gaining this understanding is by using an element specific, surface sensitive technique, such as photoelectron spectroscopy (PES).In this thesis, PES is used to understand new complex dye/semiconductor interfaces. Dyes adsorbed to semiconductor surfaces are analyzed using PES in terms of geometric and electronic surface structure. The investigations ultimately target the effects of co-adsorbing dyes with other dyes or co-adsorbents.PES shows that Ru dyes can adsorb in mixed configurations to TiO2. Co-adsorption with an organic dye affects the configuration of the Ru dyes. As a consequence, shifts in energy level alignment and increased dye coverage are observed. The dyes are affected at a molecular level in ways beneficial for solar cell performance. This is called collaborative sensitization and is also observed in todays most efficient DSC.Dye molecules are generally sensitive to high temperatures and the substantial decrease in power conversion efficiency after heat-treatment can be understood using PES. Furthermore, comparing two mesoscopic TiO2 morphologies used in DSCs show differences in trap state density in the band gap, explaining the photovoltage difference in DSCs comprising these morphologies. Using mixed molecular layers on NiO results in significant improvements of p-type DSC power conversion efficiency. PES shows that changed adsorption configuration contribute to this effect.This thesis shows that PES studies can be used to obtain insight into functional properties of complex DSC interfaces at a molecular level.
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| 5. |
- Maibach, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Probing a battery electrolyte drop with ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy
- 2019
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP. - 2041-1723. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Operando ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy in realistic battery environments is a key development towards probing the functionality of the electrode/electrolyte interface in lithium-ion batteries that is not possible with conventional photoelectron spectroscopy. Here, we present the ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy characterization of a model electrolyte based on 1M bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt in propylene carbonate. For the first time, we show ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy data of propylene carbonate in the liquid phase by using solvent vapor as the stabilizing environment. This enables us to separate effects from salt and solvent, and to characterize changes in electrolyte composition as a function of probing depth. While the bulk electrolyte meets the expected composition, clear accumulation of ionic species is found at the electrolyte surface. Our results show that it is possible to measure directly complex liquids such as battery electrolytes, which is an important accomplishment towards true operando studies.
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