The ability to directly track the charge carrier in a battery as it inserts/extracts from an electrode during charge/discharge provides unparalleled insight for researchers into the working mechanism of the device. This crystallographic-electrochemical information can be used to design new materials or modify electrochemical conditions to improve battery performance characteristics, such as lifetime. Critical to collecting operando data used to obtain such information insitu while a battery functions are X-ray and neutron diffractometers with sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to capture complex and subtle structural changes. The number of operando battery experiments has dramatically increased in recent years, particularly those involving neutron powder diffraction. Herein, the importance of structure-property relationships to understanding battery function, why insitu experimentation is critical to this, and the types of experiments and electrochemical cells required to obtain such information are described. For each battery type, selected research that showcases the power of insitu and operando diffraction experiments to understand battery function is highlighted and future opportunities for such experiments are discussed. The intention is to encourage researchers to use insitu and operando techniques and to provide a concise overview of this area of research.Keywords situ, batteries, diffraction, studies, powder, electrode, materials, rechargeable
Disciplines
Engineering | Science and Technology Studies
Publication DetailsSharma, N., Pang, W. Kong., Guo, Z. & Peterson, V. K. (2015). In situ powder diffraction studies of electrode materials in rechargeable batteries. ChemSusChem: chemistry and sustainability, energy and materials, 8 (17), 2826-2853. This journal article is available at Research Online: http://ro.uow.edu.au/eispapers/4279
In Situ Powder Diffraction Studies of Electrode Materials in Rechargeable BatteriesNeerajS harma,* [a] Wei Kong Pang, [b, c] Zaiping Guo, [c] and Vanessa K. Peterson [b] ChemSusChem 2015, 8,2826 -2853 2 015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim 2826 Reviews DOI:1 0.1002/cssc.201500152
Batteries and Energy StorageIncreasingw orldwide need for energy is depleting our main energy sources, including fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Concurrently,t he combustion of fossil fuels is increasing harmful greenhouse gas emissionsa nd other environmentalp ollutants. Renewable ands ustainable energy is required to solve such problems. To enabler enewable energy, energy conversion and storage systems are essential to smooth out the intermittent nature of generation. There are an umber of energy-conversion and storage systems (e.g.,f lywheels), but lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are proving to be the dominantr echargeableb attery system. This is because of their high energy density,h igh power density,a nd higher operating voltage comparedw ith other rechargeable batteries, such as lead-acid and widely used nickel-metal-hybrid batteri...