7 The influence of electrode material crystal structure on battery performance
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Christophe Didier
Abstract
Energy storage demands are increasing as a result of the growing use of electric vehicles and intermittent energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries, commercialized over two decades ago, have enabled the widespread use of portable electronics, and these are being implemented both in electric vehicles and to store intermittently available energy. This type of battery operates with the so-called “rocking-chair” mechanism, where lithium ions are reversibly exchanged between two electrodes. The mechanism relies on the reversible insertion of lithium into sites within the electrode material crystal structure, with the repeated processes of lithium insertion and extraction generating atomic-level change that the bulk electrode material must accommodate. These are both the short- and long-range structural changes within electrodes that dictate, to a large degree, the performance of the whole battery. Hence, the characterization of electrode crystal structure, particularly during battery cycling, is key to understanding and improving energy storage in batteries. In this chapter, we explore the relationship between the crystal structure of electrode materials and their performance in lithium-ion batteries, with a focus on structure types that have found commercial applications. The discussion identifies what crystallographic features are useful for electrode materials and how crystal structure influences electrochemical behavior.
Abstract
Energy storage demands are increasing as a result of the growing use of electric vehicles and intermittent energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries, commercialized over two decades ago, have enabled the widespread use of portable electronics, and these are being implemented both in electric vehicles and to store intermittently available energy. This type of battery operates with the so-called “rocking-chair” mechanism, where lithium ions are reversibly exchanged between two electrodes. The mechanism relies on the reversible insertion of lithium into sites within the electrode material crystal structure, with the repeated processes of lithium insertion and extraction generating atomic-level change that the bulk electrode material must accommodate. These are both the short- and long-range structural changes within electrodes that dictate, to a large degree, the performance of the whole battery. Hence, the characterization of electrode crystal structure, particularly during battery cycling, is key to understanding and improving energy storage in batteries. In this chapter, we explore the relationship between the crystal structure of electrode materials and their performance in lithium-ion batteries, with a focus on structure types that have found commercial applications. The discussion identifies what crystallographic features are useful for electrode materials and how crystal structure influences electrochemical behavior.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Contents VII
- List of contributors IX
- 1 In situ tools for the exploration of structure–property relationships 1
- 2 Understanding stacking disorder in layered functional materials using powder diffraction 55
- Crystal chemistry investigations on photovoltaic chalcogenides 93
- 4 Energy band gap variations in chalcogenide compound semiconductors: influence of crystal structure, structural disorder, and compositional variations 123
- 5 Halide semiconductors: symmetry relations in the perovskite type and beyond 153
- 6 Structural ordering in ceria-based suboxides applied for thermochemical water splitting 185
- 7 The influence of electrode material crystal structure on battery performance 217
- 8 Hydroborates as novel solid-state electrolytes 265
- 9 Crystallographic challenges in corrosion research 291
- 10 Crystallographic diffraction techniques and density functional theory: two sides of the same coin? 317
- 11 Crystallographic deviants: modelling symmetry shirkers 339
- Index 355
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Foreword V
- Contents VII
- List of contributors IX
- 1 In situ tools for the exploration of structure–property relationships 1
- 2 Understanding stacking disorder in layered functional materials using powder diffraction 55
- Crystal chemistry investigations on photovoltaic chalcogenides 93
- 4 Energy band gap variations in chalcogenide compound semiconductors: influence of crystal structure, structural disorder, and compositional variations 123
- 5 Halide semiconductors: symmetry relations in the perovskite type and beyond 153
- 6 Structural ordering in ceria-based suboxides applied for thermochemical water splitting 185
- 7 The influence of electrode material crystal structure on battery performance 217
- 8 Hydroborates as novel solid-state electrolytes 265
- 9 Crystallographic challenges in corrosion research 291
- 10 Crystallographic diffraction techniques and density functional theory: two sides of the same coin? 317
- 11 Crystallographic deviants: modelling symmetry shirkers 339
- Index 355
