Unveiling the tailorable electrochemical properties of zeolitic imidazolate framework-derived Ni-doped LiCoO_(2) for lithium-ion batteries in half/full cells

As a prevailing cathode material of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs),LiCoO_(2)(LCO)still encounters the tricky problems of structural collapse,whose morphological engineering and cation doping are crucial for surmounting the mechanical strains and alleviating phase degradation upon cycling.Hereinafter,we propose a strategy using a zeolitic imidazolate framework(ZIF)as the self-sacrificing template to directionally prepare a series of LiNi_(0.1)Co_(0.9)O_(2)(LNCO)with tailorable electrochemical properties.The rational selection of sintering temperature imparts the superiority of the resultant products in lithium storage,during which the sample prepared at 700℃(LNCO-700)outperforms its counterparts in cyclability(156.8 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C for 200 cycles in half cells,1 C=275 mA g^(-1))and rate capability due to the expedited ion/electron transport and the strengthen mechanical robustness.The feasibility of proper Ni doping is also divulged by half/full cell tests and theoretical study,during which LNCO-700(167 mA h g^(-1)at 1 C for 100 cycles in full cells)surpasses LCO-700 in battery performance due to the mitigated phase deterioration,stabilized layered structu re,ameliorated electro nic co nductivity,a nd exalted lithium sto rage activity.This work systematically unveils tailorable electrochemical behaviors of LNCO to better direct their practical application.

Electrochemical properties of magnesium alloy anodes discharged in seawater

Magnesium alloys can be developed as anode materials for seawater activated batteries. The electrochemical properties of AZ31, AP65 and Mg-3%Ga-2%Hg alloy anodes discharged in seawater were studied. The potentiodynamic polarization shows that the Mg-3%Ga-2%Hg alloy provides more negative corrosion potentials than AZ31 or AP65 alloy. The galvanostatic discharge results show that the Mg-3%Ga-2%Hg alloy exhibits good electrochemical properties as anodes in seawater. And the EIS studies reveal that the magnesium alloy anode/seawater interfacial process is determined by an activation controlled reaction. The Mg3Hg and Mg21Ga5Hg3 phases in Mg-3%Ga-2%Hg alloy improve its electrochemical properties better than the Mg17（Al,Zn）12 phase in AZ31 and Mg（Pb） solid solution phase in AP65 alloys.

Influence of heat treatment on electrochemical properties of Ti_(1.4)V_(0.6)Ni alloy electrode containing icosahedral quasicrystalline phase

The structures and electrochemical properties of the Ti1.4V0.6Ni ribbon before and after heat treatment are investigated systematically. The structure of the sample is characterized by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. Electrochemical properties including the discharge capacity, the cyclic stability and the high-rate discharge ability are tested. X-ray powder diffraction analysis shows that after heat treatment at 590 °C for 30 min, all samples mainly consist of the icosahedral quasicrystal phase (I-phase), Ti2Ni phase (FCC), V-based solid solution phase (BCC) and C14 Laves phase (hexagonal). Electrochemical measurements show that the maximum discharge capacity of the alloy electrode after heat treatment is 330.9 mA?h/g under the conditions that the discharge current density is 30 mA/g and the temperature is 30 °C. The result indicates that the cyclic stability and the high-rate discharge ability are all improved. In addition, the electrochemical kinetics of the alloy electrode is also studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and hydrogen diffusion coefficient (D).

Phase structure and electrochemical properties of La_(0.7)Ce_(0.3)Ni_(3.75)Mn_(0.35)Al_(0.15)Cu_(0.75-x)Fe_x hydrogen storage alloys

La0.7Ce0.3Ni3.75Mn0.35Al0.15Cu0.75-xFex （x=0-0.20） hydrogen storage alloys were synthesized by induction melting and subsequent annealing treatment, and phase structure and electrochemical characteristics were investigated. All alloys consist of a single LaNi5 phase with CaCu5 structure, and the lattice constant a and the cell volume （V） of the LaNi5 phase increase with increasing x value. The maximum discharge capacity gradually decreases from 319.0 mA？h/g （x=0） to 291.9 mA？h/g （x=0.20） with the increase in x value. The high-rate dischargeability at the discharge current density of 1200 mA/g decreases monotonically from 53.1% （x=0） to 44.2% （x=0.20）. The cycling stability increases with increasing x from 0 to 0.20, which is mainly ascribed to the improvement of the pulverization resistance.

Phase structure and electrochemical properties of La_(1.7+x)Mg_(1.3-x)(NiCoMn)_(9.3)(x=0-0.4) hydrogen storage alloys

The phase structure and electrochemical properties of La1.7＋xMg1.3-x（NiCoMn）9.3（x=0-0.4） alloys were investigated. The XRD analysis reveals that the alloys consist of LaNi5 phase and other phases, such as LaMg2Ni9 phase （PuNi3 structure） and La4MgNi19 phases （Ce5Co19＋Pr5Co19 structure, namely A5B19 type）. With the increase of the x value, the LaMg2Ni9 phase fades away and La4MgNi19 phases appear, while the abundance of LaNi5 phase firstly increases and then decreases. At the same time, the cell volume of LaNi5 phase and LaMg2Ni9 phase decreases. The electrochemical measurement shows that alloy electrodes could be activated in 4-5 cycles, and with the increase of the x value, the maximum discharge capacity gradually increases from 330.9 mA-h/g （x=0） to 366.8 mA-h/g （x=0.4）, but the high-rate dischargeability （HRD） and cyclic stability （S） decrease somewhat （x=0.4, HRD600=82.32%, S100=73.8%）. It is found that the HRD is mainly controlled by the electrocatalytic activity on the alloy electrode surface, and the decline of cyclic stability is due to the appearance of A5B19 type phase with larger hydrogen storage capacity, which leads to larger volume expansion and more intercrystalline stress and then easier pulverization during charging/discharging.

Effects of annealing treatment on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of low-Co hydrogen storage alloys containing Cu and Fe

The effects of annealing treatment on the microstructure and electrochemical properties of low-Co LaNi 3.55 Mn 0.35 Co 0.20 Al 0.20 Cu 0.75 Fe 0.10 hydrogen storage alloys were investigated. X-ray diffraction （XRD） analysis indicated that annealing treatment remarkably reduced the lattice strain and defects, and increased the unit-cell volume. The optical microscope analysis showed that the as-cast alloy had a crass dendrite microstructure with noticeable composition segregation, which gradually disappeared with increasing annealing temperature, and the micro-structure changed to an equiaxed structure after annealing the alloy at 1233 K. The electrochemical tests indicated that the annealed alloys demonstrated much better cycling stability compared with the as-cast one. The capacity retention at the 100th cycle increased from 90.0% （as-cast） to 94.7% （1273 K）. The annealing treatment also improved the discharge capacity. However, the high rate dischargeability （HRD） value of the annealed alloy slightly dropped, which was believed to be ascribed to the decreased exchange current density and the hydrogen diffusion coefficient in alloy bulk.

Carbon-coated manganese dioxide nanoparticles and their enhanced electrochemical properties for zinc-ion battery applications

In this study, we report the cost-effective and simple synthesis of carbon-coated α-MnOnanoparticles(α-MnO@C) for use as cathodes of aqueous zinc-ion batteries(ZIBs) for the first time. α-MnO@C was prepared via a gel formation, using maleic acid(CHO) as the carbon source, followed by annealing at low temperature of 270 °C. A uniform carbon network among the α-MnOnanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy. When tested in a zinc cell, the α-MnO@C exhibited a high initial discharge capacity of 272 m Ah/g under 66 m A/g current density compared to 213 m Ah/g, at the same current density, displayed by the pristine sample. Further, α-MnO@C demonstrated superior cycleability compared to the pristine samples. This study may pave the way for the utilizing carbon-coated MnOelectrodes for aqueous ZIB applications and thereby contribute to realizing high performance eco-friendly batteries.

Preparation and electrochemical properties of carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers

Carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers as cathode materials for Li-ion batteries were obtained by coaxial electrospinning. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area analysis, galvanostatic charge–discharge, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy（EIS） were employed to investigate the crystalline structure, morphology, and electrochemical performance of the as-prepared hollow nanofibers. The results indicate that the carbon-coated LiFePO_4 hollow nanofibers have good long-term cycling performance and good rate capability： at a current density of 0.2C（1.0C = 170 mA ·g^-1） in the voltage range of 2.5–4.2 V, the cathode materials achieve an initial discharge specific capacity of 153.16 mA h·g^-1 with a first charge–discharge coulombic efficiency of more than 97%, as well as a high capacity retention of 99% after 10 cycles; moreover, the materials can retain a specific capacity of 135.68 mA h·g^-1, even at 2C.

Structure characterization and electrochemical properties of new lithium salt LiODFB for electrolyte of lithium ion batteries

Lithium difluoro(axalato)borate (LiODFB) was synthesized in dimethyl carbonate (DMC) solvent and purified by the method of solventing-out crystallization. The structure characterization of the purified LiODFB was performed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry. The electrochemical properties of the cells using 1 mol/L LiPF6 and 1 mol/L LiODFB in ethylene carbonate (EC)/DMC were investigated, respectively. The results indicate that LiODFB can be reduced at about 1.5 V and form a robust protective solid electrolyte interface (SEI) film on the graphite surface in the first cycle. The graphite/LiNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 cells with LiODFB-based electrolyte have very good capacity retention at 55 ℃, and show very good rate capability at 0.5C and 1C charge/discharge rate. Therefore, as a new salt, LiODFB is a most promising alternative lithium salt to replace LiPF6 for lithium ion battery electrolytes in the future.

Electrochemical properties of spinel LiMn_2O_4 and LiAl_(0.1)Mn_(1.9)O_(3.9)F_(0.1) synthesized by solid-state reaction

Two types of spinel cathode powders, LiMn2O4 and LiAl0.1Mn1.9O3.9F0.1, were synthesized by solid-state reaction, X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns of the prepared samples were identified as the spinel structure with a space group of Fd 3^- m. The cubic lattice parameter was determined from least-squares fitting of the XRD data. The LiAl0.1Mn1.9O3.9F0.1 sample showed a little lower initial capacity, but better cycling performance than the LiMn2O4 sample at both room temperature and an elevated temperature. The Vanderbilt method was used to test the electrochemical conductivity of the LiMn2O4 samples. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS） method was employed to investigate the electrochemical properties of these spinel LiMn2O4 samples.

Effect of modified elastomeric binders on the electrochemical properties of silicon anodes for lithium-ion batteries

Silicon has been investigated intensively as a promising anode material for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The choice of a binder is very important to solve the problem of the large capacity fade observed along cycling. The effect of modified elastomeric binders on the electrochemical performance of crystalline nano-silicon powders was studied. Compared with the conventional binder （polyvinylidene fluoride （PVDF））, Si electrodes using the elastomeric styrene butadiene rubber （SBR） and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose （SCMC） com- bined binder show an improved cycling performance. The reversible capacity of the Si electrode with the SCMC/SBR binder is as high as 2221 mA.h/g for 30 cycles in a voltage window between 0.005 and 2 V. The structure changes from SEM images of the silicon electrodes with different binders were used to explore the property improvement.

Preparation of anatase TiO_2 with assistance of surfactant OP-10 and its electrochemical properties as an anode material for lithium ion batteries

With the assistance of nonionic surfactant （OP-10） and surface-selective surfactant （CH3COOH）, anatase TiO2 was prepared as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. The morphology, the crystal structure, and the electrochemical properties of the prepared anatase TiO2 were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy （EIS）, and galvanostatic charge and discharge test. The result shows that the prepared anatase TiO2 has high discharge capacity and good cyclic stability. The maximum discharge capacity is 313 mAh.g^-1, and there is no significant capacity decay from the second cycle.

Preparation, characterization and electrochemical properties of mesoporous LiFe_(0.99)Mo_(0.01)PO_4/C

A mesoporous LiFe0.99Mo0.01PO4/C composite was synthesized by the sol-gel method using （NH4）2MoO4 as a doping starting material. The formation of conductive carbon, metal doping and mesopores was achieved simultaneously in the prepared material. The characterizations of crystal structures and microstructures were investigated using X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, extended X-ray-absorption fine-structure （EXAFS） and X-ray-absorption near-structure spectroscopy （XANES） while the surface area was determined using N2 adsorption techniques. Cyclic voltammetry （CV） and charge-discharge cycling performance were used to characterize its electrochemical properties. The sample possessed uniformly distributed mesopores with an average pore size of 4 nm, and the specific surface area was about 69.368 m^2/g. The results show that the reversible capacity of mesoporous LiFe0.99Mo0.01PO4/C is about 160 mAh/g at 0.1C, 135 mAh/g at 1C and 90 mAh/g at 5C, respectively. The capacity fading is neglectable.

Microstructure and electrochemical properties of LaNi_(4-x)FeMn_x (x=0-0.8) hydrogen storage alloys

In order to reduce the cost of LaNi5 based hydrogen storage alloys, effect of substitution of Mn for Ni on structural and electrochemical properties of LaNi4-xFeMnx (x=0-0.8) hydrogen storage alloys was studied systematically. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed that LaNi5 and La2Ni7 phases were invariably present in all alloy samples, and when x >= 0.4, (Fe, Ni) phase was observed. Electrochemical studies revealed that the discharge capacity reached a maximum value of 306.4 mAh/g when x=0.2 and the cycling stability decreased with the increase of x. With the increase of Mn content, hydrogen diffusion coefficient decreased, whereas high rate discharge-ability (HRD) and exchange current density first increased slowly when x <= 0.2 and then decreased markedly when x=0.8, indicating that electrochemical reaction on the surface of alloy electrodes had strong influence on kinetic property.

Preparation of activated carbons from mesophase pitch and their electrochemical properties

The influences of molar ratio of KOH to C and activated temperature on the pore structure and electrochemical property of porous activated carbon from mesophase pitch activated by KOH were investigated. The surface areas and the pore structures of activated carbons were analyzed by nitrogen adsorption, and the electrochemical properties of the activated carbons were studied using two-electrode capacitors in organic electrolyte. The results indicate that the maximum surface area of 3 190 m2/g is obtained at molar ratio of KOH to C of 5:1, the maximum specific capacitance of 122 F/g is attained at molar ratio of KOH to C of 4:1, and 800 ℃ is the proper temperature to obtain the maximum surface area and capacitance.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Li_2MnSiO_4/C nanoparticles via polyol process

Carbon-coated lithium manganese silicate （Li2MnSiO4/C） nanoparticles were synthesized by polyol process. X-ray diffraction （XRD） patterns of the obtained materials exhibit a good fit with that of the Li2MnSiO4 phase. Field emission scanning electron microscopy （FESEM） images of the obtained samples show that the particle size is only tens of nanometers. The high resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM） analysis shows that the Li2MnSiO4 nanoparticles are surrounded by a very thin film of amorphous carbon. The composite prepared through polyol process shows good performance as cathode materials in lithium cells at room temperature. The charge capacity of the Li2MnSiO4/C samples is 219 mAh/g （about 1.3 Li^＋ per unit formula extracted）, and the discharge capacity is 132 mAh/g （about 0.8 Li^＋ per unit formula inserted） in the first cycle in the voltage range of 1.5-4.8 V. A good capacity cycling maintenance of 81.8% after 10 cycles was obtained.

Powder electrochemical properties with different particle sizes of spinel LiAl_(0.05)Mn_(1.95)O_4 synthesized by sol-gel method

An Al-doped spinel lithium manganese oxide was prepared by the adipic acid-assisted sol-gel method at 800℃, and the cathode materials （Liml0.05Mnl.9504） with different particle sizes were obtained through ball milling. The effects of particle size on the electrochemical performance of LiAl0.05Mnl.9504 samples were investigated by differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetry, X-ray diffraction, galvanostatic charge-discharge test, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The results indicate that all samples with different particle sizes show the same pure spinel phase and good crystal structure; LiAlo.osMnl.9504 with Dso = 17.3 μm shows better capacity retention; LiAlo.osMnl.gsO4 cathode materials with small particle size have a bigger resistance of charge transfer than the large one, and the particle size has significant effects on the electrochemical performance of Al-doped spinel LiMn2O4 cathode materials.

Electrochemical properties of powder-pressed Pb-Ag-PbO_(2) anodes

Pb?Ag?PbO2 composite anodes with different mass fractions(1%,2%,3%,4%and 5%)ofβ-PbO2 were prepared by powder-pressed(PP)method.The galvanostatic polarization curves,Tafel curves and anodic polarization curves were tested in sulfuric acid solution.The morphologies and phase compositions of the anodic layers formed after galvanostatic polarization were investigated by using scanning electron microscope(SEM)and X-ray diffractometer(XRD),respectively.The results showed thatβ-PbO2 can improve the electrocatalytic activity of anodic oxide.The anode containing 3%β-PbO2 had the lowest overpotential of oxygen evolution reaction(OER)and the best corrosion resistance.The morphologies of the anode surfaces were gradually transformed from regular crystals to amorphous ones as the content ofβ-PbO2 increased in anodes.

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of LiNi_(0.8)Al_(0.2-x)Ti_xO_2 cathode materials by an ultrasonic-assisted co-precipitation method

A new co-precipitation route was proposed to synthesize LiNi0.8A10.2-xTixO2 （x=0.0-0.20） cathode materials for lithium ion batteries, with Ni（NO3）2, Al（NO3）3, LiOH·H2O, and TiO2 as the starting materials. Ultrasonic vibration was used during preparing the precursors, and the precursors were protected by absolute ethanol before calcination in the air. The influences of doped-Ti content, calcination temperature and time, additional Li content, and ultrasonic vibration on the structure and properties of LiNi0.8A10.2-xTixO2 were investigated by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and charge-discharge tests, respectively. The results show that the optimal molar fraction of Ti, calcination temperature and time, and additional molar fraction of Li for LiNi0.8A10.2-xTixO2 cathode materials are 0.1,700℃, 20 h, and 0.05, respectively. Ti doping facilitates the formation of the α-NaFeO2 layered structure, and ultrasonic vibration improves the electrochemical performance of LiNi0.8A10.2-xTixO2.

Structure and Electrochemical Properties of A_2B_7-Type La-Mg-Ni Hydrogen Storage Alloys

Investigation of alloy structure shows that La2-xMgxNi7 （x = 0.3 - 0.8） alloys are mainly com- posed of Ce/Ni7-type, Gd2Co7-type and PuNi3-type phase. The influence of Mg content in alloys on the phase structure is great, resulting in a linear decrease of the unit cell parameters of main phases and increase of hydrogen absorption/desorption plateau as Mg content increases. Electrochemical measurements show that as the Mg content increases, the discharge capacity of alloy electrodes first increases and then decreases. The cyclic stability presents a deteriorative trend. La1.4Mg0.6 Ni7 alloy electrode exhibits the maximum electrochemical discharge capacity （378 mAh·g^-1）, and the La1.6Mg0.4Ni7 alloy electrode shows the best cyclic stability （S270 = 81%）.