Enhancement of electrochemical performance in lithium-ion battery via tantalum oxide coated nickel-rich cathode materials

Nickel-rich cathode materials are increasingly being applied in commercial lithium-ion batteries to realize higher specific capacity as well as improved energy density.However,low structural stability and rapid capacity decay at high voltage and temperature hinder their rapid large-scale application.Herein,a wet chemical method followed by a post-annealing process is utilized to realize the surface coating of tantalum oxide on LiNi_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2),and the electrochemical performance is improved.The modified Li Ni_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2)displays an initial discharge capacity of~233 m Ah/g at0.1 C and 174 m Ah/g at 1 C after 150 cycles in the voltage range of 3.0 V–4.4 V at 45℃,and it also exhibits an enhanced rate capability with 118 m Ah/g at 5 C.The excellent performance is due to the introduction of tantalum oxide as a stable and functional layer to protect the surface of LiNi_(0.88)Mn_(0.03)Co_(0.09)O_(2),and the surface side reactions and cation mixing are suppressed at the same time without hampering the charge transfer kinetics.

Tunable structural color of anodic tantalum oxide films

Tantalum （Ta） oxide flhns with tunable structural color were fabricated easily using anodic oxidation. The structure, components, and surface valence states of the oxide films were investigated by using gazing incidence X-ray diffractometry, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, and surface analytical techniques. Their thickness and optical properties were studied by using spectroscopic ellipsometry and total reflectance spectrum. Color was accurately defined using L＊a＊b＊ scale. The thickness of compact Ta2O5 films was linearly dependent on anodizing voltage. The film color was tunable by adjusting the anodic voltage. The difference in color appearance resulted from the interference behavior between the interfaces of air-oxide and oxide metal.

INVESTIGATION OF SURFACE MORPHOLOGY, STRUCTURE AND ELECTROCATALYTIC PROPERTIES FOR O_2 EVOLUTION OF TITANIUM BASED IrO_2+Ta_2O_5 COATINGS

Titanium based IrO2 +Ta2O5 oxide anodes with different compositions and pyrolysis temperatures were prepared by termodecompoisition method. By using X-ray diffraction (XRD), the structure and texture coefficient of the coatings, TC(hkl), of IrO2 rutile crystal have been tested. It showed that, the crystallization processes of IrO2 and Ta2O5 in xIrO2 +(100-x) Ta2 O5 (x is in mol%) films affected and confined each other.In the mixed system, IrO2 rutile phase existed as a solid solution with Ta, and attained the maximum solubility when x=70mol%, i.e. for the coating of 70% IrO2 +Ta2O5.For the coatings of low iridium content or at low preparing tem pemture, (110) and (101) pwtered orientations were dominant. However, preferred growth of IrO2 weakened with increasing either iridium content or temperature. Three typical surface morphologies were observed by using scanning electron tnicroscopy(SEM). The crystallite size of the mixed oxide coatings were finest for the the film of 70%IrO2 +30%Ta2O5,and decreased with the pyrolysis tempemture. As the results of the finest crystallite segregating on sudece and the maxitnum solid solubility of Ir and Ta component in deposits, the coatings with the composition of 70%IrO2 +Ta2O5 prepared at 450℃ presented the mdrimutn electrocatalgtic activitg for O2 evolution in 0. 5M H2SO4 solution.UP to 550℃, Ti base suffered to oxidation resulting in decreasing anode conductivity,therefore, coatings performed a low activity.

Dehydration of sugars to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and non-stoichiometric formic and levulinic acids over mesoporous Ta and Ta-W oxide solid acid catalysts

A series of mesoporous Ta and Ta-W oxides have been prepared and employed as solid acid catalysts for the dehydration of fructose and glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural(HMF).Solid state 31 P MAS NMR spectroscopic results using trimethylphosphine(TMP)as a probe molecule show that the acid strength and the ratio of Br?nsted to Lewis acid sites increase gradually with the addition of tungsten in tantalum oxide.It is found that high sugar conversion and HMF selectivity are achieved over catalyst with relatively high ratios of Br?nsted to Lewis acid sites.Unexpected stoichiometric excess of formic acid relative to levulinic acid can be observed mainly because of direct decomposition of fructose over Lewis acid sites.The addition of 2-butanol leads to the increase of sugars conversion and the HMF selectivity,especially for the catalyst with high ratio of Br?nsted to Lewis acid sites.Among them,Ta7W3 oxide catalyst shows 54%HMF selectivity and good reusability with the addition of 2-butanol by extracting HMF from aqueous phase and removing humins deposed on the surface of the catalyst.

Optical Properties and Microstructure of Ta_2O_5 Thin Films Prepared by Ion Assisted Electron Beam Evaporation

An effective method for determining the refractive index of weak absorption transparent thin films was presented, which is also applicable to other weak absorption dielectric thin films. The as-deposited Ta2O5 thin films prepared by ion assisted electron beam evaporation showed a maxima transmittance as high as 93% which was close to that of the bare substrate, and exhibited a blue shift when the substrate temperature increased from room temperature to 250 ℃. The refractive index seemed to be immune to the substrate temperature and film thickness with its value about 2.14 at incidence wavelength of 55（1 nm. The surface morphology measured by atomic force microscopy （AFM） revealed that the microstructures lead to the slim optical difference, which was the interplay of substrate temperature and assisted ion beam.