Suppressing transition metal dissolution and deposition in lithium-ion batteries using oxide solid electrolyte coated polymer separator

The dissolution of transition metal(TM)cations from oxide cathodes and the subsequent migration and deposition on the anode lead to the deconstruction of cathode materials and uncontrollable growth of solid electrode interphase(SEI).The above issues have been considered as main causes for the performance degradation of lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).In this work,we reported that the solid oxide electrolyte Li1.5Al0.5Ti1.5(PO4)3(LATP)coating on polyethylene(PE)polymer separator can largely block the TM dissolution and deposition in LIBs.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM),second ion mass spectroscopy(SIMS),and Raman spectroscopy characterizations reveal that the granular surface of the LATP coating layer is converted to a dense morphology due to the reduction of LATP at discharge process.The as-formed dense surface layer can effectively hinder the TM deposition on the anode electrode and inhibit the TM dissolution from the cathode electrode.As a result,both the LiCoO2/SiO-graphite and LiMn2O4/SiO-graphite cells using LATP coated PE separator show substantially enhanced cycle performances compared with those cells with Al2O3 coated PE separator.

Progress on Transition Metal Ions Dissolution Suppression Strategies in Prussian Blue Analogs for Aqueous Sodium-/Potassium-Ion Batteries

Aqueous sodium-ion batteries(ASIBs)and aqueous potassium-ion batteries(APIBs)present significant potential for large-scale energy storage due to their cost-effectiveness,safety,and environmental compatibility.Nonetheless,the intricate energy storage mechanisms in aqueous electrolytes place stringent require-ments on the host materials.Prussian blue analogs(PBAs),with their open three-dimensional framework and facile synthesis,stand out as leading candidates for aqueous energy storage.However,PBAs possess a swift capacity fade and limited cycle longevity,for their structural integrity is compromised by the pronounced dis-solution of transition metal(TM)ions in the aqueous milieu.This manuscript provides an exhaustive review of the recent advancements concerning PBAs in ASIBs and APIBs.The dissolution mechanisms of TM ions in PBAs,informed by their structural attributes and redox processes,are thoroughly examined.Moreover,this study delves into innovative design tactics to alleviate the dissolution issue of TM ions.In conclusion,the paper consolidates various strategies for suppressing the dissolution of TM ions in PBAs and posits avenues for prospective exploration of high-safety aqueous sodium-/potassium-ion batteries.

ON-LINE ELECTROLYTIC DISSOLUTION OF SOLID METAL SAMPLE AND DETERMINATION OF COPPER IN ALLOY BY AAS

On-line dissolution of solid metal sample can be carried out by electrolysis under the control of flow injection analyzer(FIA),and the dissolved sample can be transferred to atomic spectrometer for the direct analysis.The hyphenated technique of FIA on-line electrolytic dissolution of alloy and atomic absorption spectrometer(AAS)detection is developed.The research is focused on the effects of electrolyte composition and electrolysis parameters on the sample dissolving,as well as the quantitative analysis of Cu in Al alloy samples.

Stabilizing High-Nickel Cathodes via Interfacial Hydrogen Bonding Effects Using a Hydrofluoric Acid-Scavenging Separator

Nickel-rich layered Li transition metal oxides are the most promising cathode materials for high-energydensity Li-ion batteries.However,they exhibit rapid capacity degradation induced by transition metal dissolution and structural reconstruction,which are associated with hydrofluoric acid(HF)generation from lithium hexafluorophosphate decomposition.The potential for thermal runaway during the working process poses another challenge.Separators are promising components to alleviate the aforementioned obstacles.Herein,an ultrathin double-layered separator with a 10 lm polyimide(PI)basement and a 2 lm polyvinylidene difluoride(PVDF)coating layer is designed and fabricated by combining a nonsolvent induced phase inversion process and coating method.The PI skeleton provides good stability against potential thermal shrinkage,and the strong PI-PVDF bonding endows the composite separator with robust structural integrity;these characteristics jointly contribute to the extraordinary mechanical tolerance of the separator at elevated temperatures.Additionally,unique HF-scavenging effects are achieved with the formation of-CO…H-F hydrogen bonds for the abundant HF coordination sites provided by the imide ring;hence,the layered Ni-rich cathodes are protected from HF attack,which ultimately reduces transition metal dissolution and facilitates long-term cyclability of the Ni-rich cathodes.Li||NCM811 batteries(where“NCM”indicates LiNi_(x)Co_(y)Mn_(1-x-y)O_(2))with the proposed composite separator exhibit a 90.6%capacity retention after 400 cycles at room temperature and remain sustainable at 60℃with a 91.4%capacity retention after 200 cycles.By adopting a new perspective on separators,this study presents a feasible and promising strategy for suppressing capacity degradation and enabling the safe operation of Ni-rich cathode materials.

UiO-66 type metal-organic framework as a multifunctional additive to enhance the interfacial stability of Ni-rich layered cathode material

To effectively alleviate the surface structure degradation caused by electrolyte corrosion and transition metal(TM) dissolution for Ni-rich(Ni content > 0.6) cathode materials, porous Zirconium based metalorganic frameworks(Zr-MOFs, UiO-66) material is utilized herein as a positive electrode additive. UiO-66 owns tunable attachment sites and strong binding affinity, making itself an efficient defluorination agent to suppress the undesirable reactions caused by fluorine species. Besides, it can also relieve TMs dissolution and block the migration of TMs toward anode side since it’s a multifarious metal ions adsorbent,realizing both cathode and anode interface protection. Benefiting from these advantages, the UiO-66 assistant Ni-rich cathode achieves superior cycling stability. Particularly in full cell, the positive effects of this multifunctional additive are more pronounced than in the half-cell, that is after 400 cycles at 2 C,the capacity retention has doubled with the addition of UiO-66. More broadly, this unique application of functional additive provides new insight into the degradation mechanism of layered cathode materials and offers a new avenue to develop high-energy density batteries.

Sulphuric Acid Bake-Leach Process for the Treatment of Mixed Copper-Cobalt Oxide Ores

A sulphuric acid bake–leach method for the treatment of mixed copper-cobalt oxide minerals was investigated as an alternative to the reductive leaching method. Sulphuric acid bake-leach process of the mixed copper-cobalt oxide ore was carried out by mixing the sample with sulphuric acid followed by baking of the mixture in a muffle furnace. Baking tests were conducted at different conditions such as temperature, time, and varying amounts of acid. The reacted samples were then subjected to water leaching at room temperature to determine the leachability of copper and cobalt from the baked material. The dissolutions of copper and cobalt were dependent on acid concentration with cobalt showing more sensitivity to the amount of acid. Both copper and cobalt were extracted from the baked material within short leaching times and without the addition of reducing agents. The outcome of this work has shown that the sulphuric acid bake-leach process is a possible alternative to the reductive leaching method for copper-cobalt oxide ores.

Crossover effects of transition metal ions in high-voltage lithium metal batteries

Enhancing the cut-off voltage of high-nickel layered oxide cathodes is an efficient way to obtain higher energy density of lithiummetal batteries(LMBs).However,the phase transition of the cathode materials and the uncontrolled decomposition of the electrolytes at high voltage can lead to irreversible dissolution of transition metal ions,which might cause the crossover effects on the lithium metal anodes.Nonetheless,the mechanism and electrolyte dependence of the crossover effects for Li metal anodes are still unclear.Herein,we investigate the crossover effects between LiNi_(0.8)Mn_(0.1)Co_(0.1)O_(2)and Li-metal anode in two electrolyte systems.For ether-based electrolyte,its poor oxidation stability results in massive dissolution of transition metal ions,leading to dendrite growth on anode and rapid cells failure.Conversely,ester-based electrolyte exhibits good electrochemical performances at 4.5 V with little crossover effect.This study provides an idea for electrolyte systems selection for high-voltage LMBs,and verifies that the crossover effect should not be neglected in LMBs.

Crystallographic facet-dependent stress responses by polyhedral lead sulfide nanocrystals and the potential ＂safe-by-design＂ approach

The particular physicochemical properties of nanomaterials are able to elicit unique biological responses. The property activity relationship is usually established for in-depth understanding of toxicity mechanisms and designing safer nanomaterials. In this study, the toxic role of specific crystallographic facets of a series of polyhedral lead sulfide （PbS） nanocrystals, including truncated octahedrons, cuboctahedrons, truncated cubes, and cubes, was investigated in human bronchial epithelial cells （BEAS-2B） and murine alveolar macrophages （RAW 264.7） cells./100} facets were found capable of triggering facet-dependent cellular oxidative stress and heavy metal stress responses, such as glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation, reactive oxygen species （ROS） production, heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1） and metallothionein （MT） expression, and mitochondrial dysfunction, while {111} facets remained inert under biological conditions. The {100}-facet-dependent toxicity was ascribed to {100}-facet-dependent lead dissolution, while the low lead dissolution of {111} facets was due to the strong protection afforded by poly（vinyl pyrrolidone） during synthesis. Based on this facet-toxicity relationship, a ＂safe-by-design＂ strategy was designed to prevent lead dissolution from {100} facets through the formation of atomically thin lead-chloride adlayers, resulting in safer polyhedral PbS nanocrystals.