Lithium ion batteries are playing indispensible role in our modern life full of portable electronics and in constant move. However, the advancement of lithium ion battery has lagged way behind electronics, in spite of extensive research efforts across research venues and industries allover the world. Search for materials with better electrical energy storage have covered all facets including different chemistry, microstructures, nanocoatings, and nanocomposites to address various issues of lithium ion batteries. The charge and discharge in lithium ion batteries proceed through lithium ion inetercalation and deintercalation, which comprises (1) electrochemical reaction at the interface between solid electrode and electrolyte, (2) solid state diffusion of mass and charge in electrodes, and (3) lattice expansion and contraction. Nanostructures offer some obvious advantages: large surface area for effective electrochemical reaction at the interface, small dimension for easy mass and charge transport and for accommodating volume change. Nanostructured materials also possess high surface energy, and are away from thermodynamic equilibrium. In this presentation, I will discuss the impacts of defects, particularly the surface defects, and the low crystallinity or amorphous nature on the lithium-ion intercalation and electrical energy storage properties when such materials are used as electrodes in lithium ion batteries. I will also show our most recent work on amorphous cathode for effective Na-ion intercalation with much enhanced storage capacity and high intercalation potential.

Positive impacts of defects and amorphous nature of electrodes for Li-ion and Na-ion batteries

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.