Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for studying the electrochemical impact of porosity variations in composite electrode materials

Abstract

The porosity in composite electrode materials can vary on micro-and nanometer scale and has a great impact on electrochemical performance in lithium-ion cells. Liquid electrolyte has to penetrate into the entire porous electrodes in order to enable lithium-ion diffusion. For studying the electrochemical impact of porosity variations in composite lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide thick films (Li(Ni1/3Mn1/3Co1/3)O2, NMC), laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied. A rapid chemical screening of the complete electrode after electrochemical cycling and cell degradation was performed. This rather new technological approach was used to obtain post-mortem critical information about surface and bulk phenomena that define and control the performance of lithium-ion batteries. The influence of porosity variations along NMC electrode surfaces was studied regarding capacity retention, life-time, and lithium distribution. For this purpose, different geometrical arrangements of porosity distribution were generated by embossing. Using LIBS, elemental mapping of lithium was obtained with a lateral resolution of 100 µm. A correlation between porosity distribution, cell degradation and local lithium plating could be identified.

Flexible fibrous structure of bacterial cellulose by synergic role carboxymethyl cellulose and glycerol for LiB polymer electrolyte

“…This results in a significant financial burden due to the production of neutron sources. Laser Inductance Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is a novel and alternative technique for detecting Li [27,28]. The data comes from the average of 10 measurement data.…”