We present a technique for systematically investigating electronic and ionic charge transport in single Li­(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)­O2 (NCM 111) secondary particles as a function of size. We perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy employing ion-blocking electrodes. Micrometer-sized spherical particles are arranged in cylindrical particle traps on a patterned substrate. A specially designed electrochemical cell is used to contact and measure individual immobilized particles in a defined contact geometry. The obtained electronic and ionic resistances of the particles as a function of size are compared with model calculations based on a homogeneous sphere with finite contact areas. The modeling reveals that electronic transport mainly occurs in the bulk of the NCM 111 particles, whereas ionic transport takes place along the particle surface. The extracted material parameters are in good agreement with literature values, showing the reliability of our measurement technique and its potential for systematic studies on the single-particle level.

Advanced lithium-ion batteries are of great interest for consumer electronics and electric vehicle applications; however, they still suffer from drawbacks stemming from cathode active material limitations (e.g., insufficient capacities and capacity fading). One approach for alleviating such limitations and stabilizing the active material structure may be anion doping. In this work, fluorine and nitrogen are investigated as potential dopants in Li1.02(Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1)0.98O2 (NCM) as a prototypical nickel-rich cathode active material. Nitrogen doping is achieved by ammonia treatment of NCM in the presence of oxygen, which serves as an unconventional and new approach. The crystal structure was investigated by means of Rietveld and pair distribution function analysis of X-ray diffraction data, which provide very precise information regarding both the average and local structure, respectively. Meanwhile, time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectroscopy was used to assess the efficacy of dopant incorporation within the NCM structure. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy were conducted to thoroughly investigate the dopant influences on the NCM morphology. Finally, the electrochemical performance was tested via galvanostatic cycling of half- and full-cells between 0.1 and 2 C. Ultimately, a dopant-dependent modulation of the NCM structure was found to enable the enhancement of the electrochemical performance, thereby opening a route to cathode active material optimization.

<p>Beef quality parameters can be negatively affected by pre-slaughter stress. Slaughter via gunshot directly on the pasture appears to be suitable for the reduction of pre-slaughter stress by avoiding stressors such as transportation, lairage and human contact. The effect of slaughtering via gunshot on sensory and objective measures of beef quality parameters for the <em>Musculus longissimus dorsi </em>of Galloway steers was analyzed and compared to conventional slaughter at the abattoir using captive-bolt stunning. The Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was significantly (P &lt; 0.01) lower for the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot (arithmetic mean (AM) gunshot: 4.34 kg; AM captive-bolt pistol: 4.77 kg). However, trained assessors were not able to recognize this difference (P &gt; 0.05). No significant differences (P &gt; 0.05) were observed for cooking loss and the sensory quality evaluation of juiciness. As measured by the WBSF, the meat of the animals slaughtered via gunshot was slightly more tender than was the meat of the animals stunned with a captive-bolt pistol. However, for the cooking loss and sensory evaluations, no effect of the slaughter methods was observed. Nevertheless, this study reveals the potential that slaughter via gunshot provides for the improvement of beef quality.</p>