Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

In this study, Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) radiography was utilized to investigate the ageing heterogeneity in 48 Ah prismatic lithium-ion cells with Ni-rich LiNi_0.8Mn_0.1Co_0.1O₂ (NMC811) as the positive electrode active material and graphite as the negative electrode active material after ∼2800 cycles. The study revealed that the area closest to the positive electrode tab is most vulnerable to degradation, particularly impacting the NMC material. Application of principal component analysis allowed to differentiate and visualize part of positive electrode material that has a different degradation due to the lithium plating. A comparison of non-destructive X-ray diffraction-based methods and electrochemical characterization method which was performed on the opened cell has shown an importance of a complementary approach. Our results highlight the feasibility of employing non-destructive techniques to study large prismatic cells, thereby presenting extensive opportunities for advancements in battery research and industry.

A comprehensive description of electrochemical processes in the positive electrode of lithium-sulfur batteries is crucial for the utilization of active material. However, the discharge mechanisms are complicated due to various reactions in multiple phases and the tortuosity of the highly porous carbon matrix. In this work, simultaneous measurements of small-angle and wide-angle scattering and cell resistance are performed on operating lithium-sulfur cells. Results indicate that precipitates grow mostly in number, not in size, and that the structure of the carbon matrix is not affected. The comparison of the small-angle and wide-angle scattering reveals the amorphous discharge products found at a low discharge rate. Further analysis demonstrates the correlation between the diffusion resistance and the compositional change of electrolyte in the mesopores at the end of discharge, which suggests that Li-ion deficiency is the limiting factor for sulfur utilization at a medium discharge rate.

Sulfur electrodes for lithium-sulfur batteries necessarily contain a conductive additive,typically carbon, to enable the electrochemical reactions, since sulfur and the dischargeproduct, Li2S, are insulators. Consequently, the full passivation of carbon, by depositionof sulfur and/or Li2S, would necessarily produce the death of the battery. However, herewe demonstrate that for high-performance lithium-sulfur batteries operated under leanelectrolyte conditions (electrolyte to sulfur ratio of 6 µL mgS-1 in Li-S coin cells), theextent of passivation of carbon is not severe enough to limit performance. This is shownby performing impedance measurements of fully charged lithium-sulfur batteries, fromwhich we demonstrate that we can evaluate the specific surface area of carbon, and wefind that the capacity fade with cycling is not due to a decrease in the electrochemicallyactive specific surface area of carbon. These results show that introducing a higher sur-face area carbon in the sulfur electrode formulation is not needed to prevent passivation,and that the focus of lithium-sulfur development should be directed towards other is-sues, such as mitigating undesirable reactions at the lithium electrode and achievingrobust sulfur electrode structures enabling fast transport of electrolyte species and, thus,more homogeneous reactions.

Three-electrode measurements are valuable to the understanding of the electrochemical processes in a battery system. However, their application in lithium–sulfur chemistry is difficult due to the complexity of the system and thus rarely reported. Here, we present a simple three-electrode cell format with relatively good life time and minimum interference with the cell operation.

The complex reaction mechanism of the lithium–sulfur battery system consists of re-petitive dissolution and precipitation of the sulfur-containing species in the positiveelectrode. In particular, the precipitation of lithium sulfide (Li2S) during discharge hasbeen considered a crucial factor for achieving a high degree of active material utiliza-tion. Here, the influence of electrolyte amount, electrode thickness, applied current andelectrolyte salt on the formation of Li2S is systematically investigated in a series ofoperando X-ray diffraction experiments. Through a combination of simultaneous dif-fraction and resistance measurements, the evolution of the intensity from Li2S is di-rectly correlated to the variation in internal resistance and transport properties insidethe positive electrode. The correlation indicates that at different stages, the Li2S precip-itation both facilitates and impedes the discharge process. The kinetic information ofLi2S formation offers mechanistic explanations for the strong impact of different elec-trochemical cell parameters on the performance and thus, directions for holistic optimi-zations to achieve high sulfur utilization.

Functional binders constitute a strategy to overcome several challenges that lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries are facing due to soluble reaction intermediates in the positive electrode. Poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) are in this context a previously well-explored binder mixture. Their ether and amide groups possess affinity to the dissolved sulfur species, which enhances the sulfur utilization and mitigates the parasitic redox shuttle. However, the immiscibility of PEO and PVP is a concern for electrode stability. Copolymers comprising ether and amide groups are thus promising candidates to improve the stability the system. Here, a series of poly (ethylene glycol-block-2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) with various block lengths is synthesized and explored as binders in S/C composite electrodes in Li-S cells. While the electrochemical analyses show that although the sulfur utilization and capacity retention of the tested electrodes are similar, the integrity of the as-cast electrodes can play a key role for power capability.

In this paper we present a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) that uniquely combines ionic conductivity and mechanical robustness. This is achieved with a diblock copolymer poly(benzyl methacrylate)-poly(ε-caprolactone-r-trimethylene carbonate). The SPE with 16.7 wt% lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) showed the highest ionic conductivity (9.1×10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ at 30 °C) and apparent transference number (T₊) of 0.64 ± 0.04. Due to the employment of the benzyl methacrylate hard-block, this SPE is mechanically robust with a storage modulus (E') of 0.2 GPa below 40 °C, similar to polystyrene, thus making it a suitable material also for load-bearing constructions. The cell Li|SPE|LiFePO₄ is able to cycle reliably at 30 °C for over 300 cycles. The promising mechanical properties, desired for compatibility with Li-metal, together with the fact that BCT is a highly reliable electrolyte material makes this SPE an excellent candidate for next-generation all-solid-state batteries.

Concentrated electrolytes have the potential to increase the stability for batteries with lithium metal anodes. In this study, liquid electrolytes were created by mixing ethylene carbonate (EC), a solid at room temperature, with a high concentration of LiTFSI salt. The binary LiTFSI–EC highly concentrated electrolytes have the benefit of extremely low volatility as compared to conventional organic electrolytes and also allow for cycling vs Li metal anodes. Using a LiTFSI–EC electrolyte with molar ratio 1:6, the Coulombic efficiency for Li plating/stripping on Cu is 97% at a current density of 1 mA cm–2 with a 2 mAh cm–2 capacity, pointing to a practically useful performance. In a full cell setup using a commercial LiFePO4 (LFP) cathode, the efficiency is maintained, proving compatibility. In comparison to other carbonate-based electrolytes, there is less accumulation of decomposition products on the surface of a cycled Li film, which in part explains the improved cycle life. In all, this electrolyte system shows promise in terms of electrochemical stability and may allow for safe Li metal batteries due to the inherent physical stability.

The electrolyte additives vinylene carbonate (VC) and fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC) are well known for increasing the lifetime of a Li-ion battery cell by supporting the formation of an effective solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) at the anode. In this study combined simultaneous electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and operando electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (EQCM-D) are employed together with in situ gas analysis (OEMS) to study the influence of VC and FEC on the passivation process and the interphase properties at carbon-based anodes. In small quantities both additives reduce the initial interphase mass loading by 30-50%, but only VC also effectively prevents continuous side reactions and improves anode passivation significantly. VC and FEC are both reduced at potentials above 1 V vs. Li+/Li in the first cycle and change the SEI composition which causes an increase of the SEI shear storage modulus by over one order of magnitude in both cases. As a consequence, the ion diffusion coefficient and conductivity in the interphase is also significantly affected. While small quantities of VC in the initial electrolyte increase the SEI conductivity, FEC decomposition products hinder charge transport through the SEI and thus increase overall anode impedance significantly.

Operando X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a valuable tool for studying secondary battery materials as it allows for the direct correlation of electrochemical behavior with structural changes of crystalline active materials. This is especially true for the lithium-sulfur chemistry, in which energy storage capability depends on the complex growth and dissolution kinetics of lithium sulfide (Li2S) and sulfur (S-8) during discharge and charge, respectively. In this work, we present a novel development of this method through combining operando XRD with simultaneous and continuous resistance measurement using an intermittent current interruption (ICI) method. We show that a coefficient of diffusion resistance, which reflects the transport properties in the sulfur/carbon composite electrode, can be determined from analysis of each current interruption. Its relationship to the established Warburg impedance model is validated theoretically and experimentally. We also demonstrate for an optimized electrode formulation and cell construction that the diffusion resistance increases sharply at the discharge end point, which is consistent with the blocking of pores in the carbon host matrix. The combination of XRD with ICI allows for a direct correlation of structural changes with not only electrochemical properties but also energy loss processes at a nonequilibrium state and, therefore, is a valuable technique for the study of a wide range of energy storage chemistries.