We used in situ X-ray diffraction, XPS, SEM, and electrochemical methods to interrogate the mechanism of Mg electrodeposition from PhMgCl/AlCl3 (APC) and EtMgCl electrolytes. An open circuit potential (OCP) pause following Mg deposition led to retained enhancement of Mg deposition and stripping kinetics along with lowered overpotentials for both. In situ X-ray diffraction demonstrated that the OCP pause led to a more polycrystalline deposit relative to that without the pause, while SEM presented micrographs that showed smaller deposits with an OCP hold. The improvement is attributed to an “enhancement layer” that formed on the electrode during the OCP hold. Analysis of XPS data suggests that the “enhancement layer” consists of Mg and Cl retained on the electrode surface, possibly following electrode depassivation.

Solid-state (7)Li and (13)C MAS NMR spectra of cycled graphitic Li-ion anodes demonstrate SEI compound formation upon lithiation that is followed by changes in the SEI upon delithiation. Solid-state (13)C DPMAS NMR shows changes in peaks associated with organic solvent compounds (ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate, EC/DMC) upon electrochemical cycling due to the formation of and subsequent changes in the SEI compounds. Solid-state (13)C NMR spin-lattice (T1) relaxation time measurements of lithiated Li-ion anodes and reference poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) powders, along with MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry results, indicate that large-molecular-weight polymers are formed in the SEI layers of the discharged anodes. MALDI-TOF MS and NMR spectroscopy results additionally indicate that delithiated anodes exhibit a larger number of SEI products than is found in lithiated anodes.

The solid electrolyte interface (SEI) formed via electrolyte decomposition on the anode of lithium ion batteries is largely responsible for the stable cycling of conventional lithium ion batteries. Similarly, there is a lesser-known analogous layer on the cathode side of a lithium ion battery, termed the cathode electrolyte interface (CEI), whose composition and role are debated. To confirm the existence and composition of the CEI, desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) is applied to study common lithium ion battery cathodes. We observe CEI formation on the LiMn2O4 cathode material after cycling between 3.5 and 4.5 V vs Li/Li(+) in electrolyte solution containing 1 M LiPF6 or LiClO4 in 1:1 (v/v) ethylene carbonate (EC) and dimethyl carbonate (DMC). Intact poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether is identified as the electrolyte degradation product on the cathode surface by the high mass-resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometer. When EC is paired with ethyl methyl carbonate (EMC), poly(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether, poly(ethylene glycol) ethyl methyl ether, and poly(ethylene glycol) are found on the surface simultaneously. The presence of ethoxy and methoxy end groups indicates both methoxide and ethoxide are produced and involved in the process of oligomerization. Au surfaces cycled under different electrochemical windows as model systems for Li-ion battery anodes are also examined. Interestingly, the identical oligomeric species to those found in the CEI are found on Au surfaces after running five cycles between 2.0 and 0.1 V vs Li/Li(+) in half-cells. These results show that DESI-MS provides intact molecular information on battery electrodes, enabling deeper understanding of the SEI or CEI composition.

Next generation lithium battery materials will require a fundamental shift from those based on intercalation to elements or compounds that alloy directly with lithium. Intermetallics, for instance, can electrochemically alloy to Li4.4M (M = Si, Ge, Sn, etc.), providing order‐of‐magnitude increases in energy density. Unlike the stable crystal structure of intercalation materials, intermetallic‐based electrodes undergo dramatic volume changes that rapidly degrade the performance of the battery. Here, the energy density of silicon is combined with the structural reversibility of an intercalation material using a silicon/metal‐silicide multilayer. In operando X‐ray reflectivity confirms the multilayer's structural reversibility during lithium insertion and extraction, despite an overall 3.3‐fold vertical expansion. The multilayer electrodes also show enhanced long‐term cyclability and rate capabilities relative to a comparable silicon thin film electrode. This intercalation behavior found by dimensionally constraining silicon's lithiation promises applicability to a wide range of conversion reactions.

LiMn2O4 (LMO) particles were coated with a Au shell by a simple and scalable electroless deposition for use as Li-ion battery cathodes. The Au shell was intended to limit the capacity fade commonly seen with LMO cathodes. Characterization by SEM, TEM, EELS, and AFM showed that the Au shell was approximately 3 nm thick. The Au shell prevented much of the Mn from dissolving in the electrolyte with 82% and 88% less dissolved Mn in the electrolyte at room temperature and 65°C, respectively, as compared to the uncoated LMO. Electrochemical performance studies with half cells showed that the Au shell maintained a higher discharge capacity over 400 cycles by nearly 30% with 110 mA hr g−1 for the 400th cycle as compared to a commercial LMO at 85 mA hr g−1. Similarly, the capacity fade was reduced in full cells, where the coated LMO had 47% greater capacity after 400 cycles over the control.