Nanostructured ZnFe2O4 as Anode Material for Lithium-Ion Batteries: Ionic Liquid-Assisted Synthesis and Performance Evaluation with Special Emphasis on Comparative Metal Dissolution

Abstract

In memoriam of Janez (Janko) Jamnik, a brilliant scientist with an exceptional combination of great leadership capabilities and a friendly and kind personality AbstractIn this work, a ZnFe 2 O 4 anode material was successfully synthesized by a novel ionic liquid-assisted synthesis method followed by a carbon coating procedure. The as-prepared ZnFe 2 O 4 particles demonstrate a relatively homogeneous particle size distribution with particle diameters ranging from 40 to 80 nm. This material, which is well known to offer an interesting combination of an alloying and conversion mechanism, is capable of accommodating nine equivalents of lithium per unit formula, resulting in a high specific capacity (≥ 1,000 mAh g -1 ). The resulting composite anode material displayed a stable capacity of ca. 1,091 mAh g -1 for 190 cycles at a medium de-lithiation potential of 1.7 V and at a charge/discharge rate of 1C. Furthermore, the material displays an excellent high rate capability up to 20C, displaying a reversible capacity of still 216 mAh g -1 . Studies on Fe and Zn losses of the ZnFe 2 O 4 active material by dissolution in the electrolyte were performed and compared to those of silicon-, germanium-and tin-based high-capacity anode materials. In conclusion, ion dissolution from metal containing anode materials should not be underestimated in view of its impact on the overall cell performance and cycling stability.

Properties of Ion Complexes and Their Impact on Charge Transport in Organic Solvent-Based Electrolyte Solutions for Lithium Batteries: Insights from a Theoretical Perspective

“…The content of this article mostly focused on the diversity and complexity of solution effects in multicomponent electrolyte formulations. We ignored several other important factors such as safety issues [167,170,171], as well as electrode-electrolyte interactions, chemical reactions [16,172,173], effects of solvents on solvent/ion co-intercalation [174][175][176], and active electrode material dissolution [177][178][179][180], which also have to be taken into consideration for the development of novel electrolyte compositions. Thus, distinct requirements have to be fulfilled at the same time, which highlights the difficulty of this challenge.…”

Hierarchically Nanostructured Transition Metal Oxides for Lithium‐Ion Batteries

“…As a mixed TMO, ZnM 2 O 4 (M mainly includes Fe and Co) has attracted considerable attention because of its high theoretical capacity. [230][231][232][233] Due to the existence of Zn element, ZnM 2 O 4 belongs to a special reaction mechanism based on both alloying-dealloying reaction and conversion reaction. [35] To further enhance the electrochemical performance of ZnM 2 O 4 , hierarchical structures have been fabricated.…”

Chromatographic Techniques in the Research Area of Lithium Ion Batteries: Current State-of-the-Art

“…Anode materials can be categorized into three groups as well: intercalation/de-intercalation materials like carbonaceous materials (especially graphite) or Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 , alloying elements like Si, Ge, Bi or Sn and conversion materials like CuO and NiO [11,[80][81][82]. Despite the diversity of materials, carbon is the state-of-the-art material for commercial application.…”