Microbatteries based on three-dimensional (3D) electrodes composed of thin films of Li and Cu₂O coated on Cu nanorod current collectors by electrodeposition and spontaneous oxidation, respectively, are described and characterised electrochemically. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) data indicate that the Li electrodeposition resulted in a homogenous coverage of the Cu nanorods and elemental analyses were also used to determine the amount of lithium in the Li-coated electrodes. The results show that 3D Cu₂O/Cu electrodes can be cycled versus 3D Li/Cu electrodes but that the capacity decreased during the cycling due to Li trapping in the Cu current collector of the 3D Li/Cu electrode. These findings highlight the problem of using copper current collectors together with metallic lithium as the formation of a solid solution yields considerable losses of electroactive lithium and hence capacity.

Abstract Poor cycling stability and safety concerns regarding lithium (Li) metal anodes are two major issues preventing the commercialization of high‐energy density Li metal‐based batteries. Herein, a novel tri‐layer separator design that significantly enhances the cycling stability and safety of Li metal‐based batteries is presented. A thin, thermally stable, flexible, and hydrophilic cellulose nanofiber layer, produced using a straightforward paper‐making process, is directly laminated on each side of a plasma‐treated polyethylene (PE) separator. The 2.5 µm thick, mesoporous (≈20 nm average pore size) cellulose nanofiber layer stabilizes the Li metal anodes by generating a uniform Li+ flux toward the electrode through its homogenous nanochannels, leading to improved cycling stability. As the tri‐layer separator maintains its dimensional stability even at 200 °C when the internal PE layer is melted and blocks the ion transport through the separator, the separator also provides an effective thermal shutdown function. The present nanocellulose‐based tri‐layer separator design thus significantly facilitates the realization of high‐energy density Li metal‐based batteries.

A bilayered cellulose-based separator design is presented that can enhance the electrochemical performance of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) via the inclusion of a porous redox-active layer. The proposed flexible redox-active separator consists of a mesoporous, insulating nanocellulose fiber layer that provides the necessary insulation between the electrodes and a porous, conductive, and redox-active polypyrrole-nanocellulose layer. The latter layer provides mechanical support to the nanocellulose layer and adds extra capacity to the LIBs. The redox-active separator is mechanically flexible, and no internal short circuits are observed during the operation of the LIBs, even when the redox-active layer is in direct contact with both electrodes in a symmetric lithium-lithium cell. By replacing a conventional polyethylene separator with a redox-active separator, the capacity of the proof-of-concept LIB battery containing a LiFePO4 cathode and a Li metal anode can be increased from 0.16 to 0.276 mA h due to the capacity contribution from the redox-active separator. As the presented redox-active separator concept can be used to increase the capacities of electrochemical energy storage systems, this approach may pave the way for new types of functional separators.

Well-defined, monolithic TiO₂ nanotube thin films havebeen used as model anode electrodes to study Na-ion storage in anatase TiO₂. It is shown that anatase TiO₂ nanotubes with wall thicknesses up to 50 nm can be transformed into amorphous sodium titanate (e.g. Na_0.2TiO₂) nanotubes via an electrochemical activation process at about 0.2 V vs. Na⁺/Na. Due to the Na⁺ insertion and extraction reactions at about 0.55 and 0.75 V vs. Na⁺/Na, respectively, the activated TiO₂ nanotubes exhibit reversible capacities of 170 mAh g-1. For the first time, it is shown that the nanotube length and wall thickness play critical roles in determining the electrochemical performances of this type of electrodes in Na-ion cells. An excellent rate performance, yielding capacities of about 33mAh g^-1 at 20C and 161 mAh g^-1 at C/5 rates, as well as a capacity retention of more than 97% after more than 350 cycles, could be achieved with nanotubes with a wall thickness of up to 20 nm. Thecycling rate for the nanotubes with a tube length of 4.5 μm should,however, be limited to 1C to guarantee a cycle life of about 200 cycles.

Multicomponent carbide thin films of (CrNbTaTiW)C (30–40 at.% C) with different metal contents were depos-ited at different temperatures using non-reactive DC magnetron sputtering. The lattice distortion for the metallattice was estimated to vary from about 3 to 5%. Most films crystallized in the cubic B1 structure but Ta/W-rich films deposited at 600 °C exhibited a tetra gonal distortion. X-ray diffraction results sh ow that near-equimolar films exhibited a strong (111) texture. In contrast, Ta/W-rich films exhibited a shift from (111) to(100) texture at 450 °C. The in-plane relationship was determined to MC(111)[-12-1]//Al2O3(001)[110] with alattice mismatch of about 11% along the Al2O3[110] direction. A segregation of Cr to the grain boundaries was ob-served in all films. The microstructure was found to be the most important factor for high hardness. Less denseNb-rich and near-equimolar films deposited at low tem peratures exhib ited the low est hardnes s (12 GPa),while very dense Ta/W-rich high temperature films were found to be the hardest (36 GPa). No correlation wasfound between the lattice distortion and the hardness. Corrosion studies revealed that the multicomponentfilms exhibited excellent corrosion resistance, superior to that of a reference hyper-duplex stainless steel, in1.0 M HCl.

Multicomponent carbide thin films of (CrNbTaTiW)C (30–40 at.% C) with different metal contents were depositedat different temperatures using non-reactive DC magnetron sputtering. The lattice distortion for the metallattice was estimated to vary from about 3 to 5%. Most films crystallized in the cubic B1 structure but Ta/W rich films deposited at 600 °C exhibited a tetragonal distortion. X-ray diffraction results show that near equimolar films exhibited a strong (111) texture. In contrast, Ta/W-rich films exhibited a shift from (111) to(100) texture at 450 °C. The in-plane relationship was determined to MC(111)[-12-1]//Al2O3(001)[110] with a lattice mismatch of about 11% along the Al2O3[110] direction. A segregation of Cr to the grain boundaries was observed in all films. The microstructure was found to be the most important factor for high hardness. Less dense Nb-rich and near-equimolar films deposited at low temperatures exhibited the lowest hardness (12 GPa), while very dense Ta/W-rich high temperature films were found to be the hardest (36 GPa). No correlation was found between the lattice distortion and the hardness. Corrosion studies revealed that the multicomponentfilms exhibited excellent corrosion resistance, superior to that of a reference hyper-duplex stainless steel, in 1.0 M HCl.

Li-ion battery (LIB) full cells comprised of TiO₂-nanotube (TiO₂-nt) and LiFePO₄ (LFP)electrodes and either a conventional organic solvent based liquid electrolyte or an ionic liquid basedelectrolyte have been cycled at 80 °C. While the cell containing the ionic liquid based electrolyteexhibited good capacity retention and rate capability during 100 cycles, rapid capacity fading was found for the corresponding cell with the organic electrolyte. Results obtained for TiO₂-nt and LFP half-cells indicate an oxidative degradation of the organic electrolyte at 80 °C. In all, ionic liquidbased electrolytes can be used to significantly improve the performance of LIBs operating at 80 °C.

3D-microbatteries (3D-MBs) impose new demands for theselection, fabrication and compatibility of the different battery components, notleast the electrolytes. Herein, solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) based on poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) have been implemented in 3D-MB systems. 3D electrodes of two different architectures, LiFePO₄-coated carbon foams and Cu₂O-coated Cu nanopillars, have been coated with SPEs and used in Li-cells. Functionalized PTMC with hydroxyl end groups was found to enable uniform and well-covering coatings on LiFePO₄-coated carbon foams, although the cell cycling performance was limited by the large SPE resistance. By employing a SPE prepared from a copolymer of TMC and caprolactone (CL), with higher ionic conductivity, Li-cells composed of Cu₂O-coated Cu nanopillars were constructed and tested both at room temperature and 60 °C. The footprint areal capacity of the cells was ca. 0.02 mAh cm^-2 for an area gain factor (AF) of 2.5, and 0.2 mAh cm^-2 for a relatively dense nanopillar-array (AF=25) at a current density of 0.008 mA cm^-2at ambient temperature (22±1 °C). These results provide new routes towards the realization of all-solid-state 3D-MBs.

Photoelectron spectroscopy (PES) is an important technique for tracing and understanding the side reactions responsible for decreasing performance of Li-ion batteries. Interpretation of different spectral components is dependent on correct binding energy referencing and for battery electrodes this is highly complex. In this work, we investigate the effect on binding energy reference points in PES in correlation to solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation, changing electrode potentials and state of charge variations in Li-ion battery electrodes. The results show that components in the SEI have a significantly different binding energy reference point relative to the bulk electrode material (i.e. up to 2 eV). It is also shown that electrode components with electronically insulating/semi-conducting nature are shifted as a function of electrode potential relative to highly conducting materials. Further, spectral changes due to lithiation are highly depending on the nature of the active material and its lithiation mechanism. Finally, a strategy for planning and evaluating PES experiments on battery electrodes is proposed where some materials require careful choice of one or more internal reference points while others may be treated essentially without internal calibration.