Lithiation of Copper Selenide Nanocrystals

Abstract

The search for ion-conductive solid electrolytes for Li batteries is an important scientific and technological challenge with economic and sustainable energy implications. In this study, nanocrystals (NCs) of the ion conductor copper selenide (Cu Se) were doped with Li by the process of cation exchange. Li Cu Se alloy NCs were formed at intermediate stages of the reaction, which was followed by phase segregation into Li Se and Cu Se domains. Li-doped Cu Se NCs and Li Se NCs exhibit a possible SI phase at moderately elevated temperatures and warrant further ion-conductance tests. These findings may guide the design of nanostructured super-ionic electrolytes for Li transport.

Mechanism of sulfidation of small zinc oxide nanoparticles

“…Thus, the complete phase transformation of the NPs from ZnO to ZnS cannot be considered simply as a topotactic exchange of anions in analogy to cation exchange reactions. [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] Rather the post-doping stage suldation is more akin to a dissolution-reprecipitation process known in mineralogy, 48 although the reprecipitation (nucleation-growth of ZnS) may occur in interfacial contact with the sulfur-doped ZnO NPs. The ZnS NPs formed from the nucleation-growth process share neither the crystallographic structure nor the morphology or size of the initial ZnO NPs.…”

Facile one pot synthesis of highly photoresponsive coinage metal selenides (Cu1.8Se and Ag2Se) achieved through novel Cu and Ag pyridylselenolates as molecular precursors

“…6,7 Moreover, these materials also find widespread applications in high performance thermoelectric devices 8,9 and photocatalysis. 10,11 Coinage metal chalcogenides, in their nano-form, have also emerged as potential candidates for new-generation energy storage devices 12,13 and biomedical applications. 14,15 Owing to the multi-dimensional applications of coinage metal chalcogenides, several synthetic protocols have been adopted to access these materials.…”

In Situ Imaging of Ion Motion in a Single Nanoparticle: Structural Transformations in Selenium Nanoparticles

“…Multicomponent nanomaterials, such as nanoalloys and nanoparticles of binary and ternary semiconductors, [1] show more desirable structural and functional properties as compared to any of the constituents alone. [2] In many processes that form multicomponent nanomaterials, ion motion is strongly involved in controlling the evolution of particle composition and structure as well as the ultimate properties of the nanomaterial.…”