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Yin, Geping

Publications and source records attributed to Yin, Geping.

Unraveling the advances of trace doping engineering for potassium ion battery anodes via tomography

Doping have been considered as a prominent strategy to stabilize crystal structure of battery materials during the insertion and removal of alkali ions. The instructive knowledge and experience acquired from doping strategies predominate in cathode materials, but doping principle in anodes remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that trace element doping enables stable conversion-reaction and ensures structural integrity for potassium ion battery (PIB) anodes. With a synergistic combination of X-ray tomography, structural probes, and charge reconfiguration, we encode the physical origins and structural evolution of electro-chemo-mechanical degradation in PIB anodes. By the multiple ion transport pathways created by the orderly hierarchical pores from “surface to bulk” and the homogeneous charge distribution governed in doped nanodomains, the anisotropic expansion can be significantly relieved with trace isoelectronic element doping into the host lattice, maintaining particle mechanical integrity. Our work presents a close relationship between doping chemistry and mechanical reliability, projecting a new pathway to reengineering electrode materials for next-generation energy storage.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Insights into interfacial effect and local lithium-ion transport in polycrystalline cathodes of solid-state batteries

Interfacial issues commonly exist in solid-state batteries, and the microstructural complexity combines with the chemical heterogeneity to govern the local interfacial chemistry. The conventional wisdom suggests that “point-to-point” ion diffusion at the interface determines the ion transport kinetics. Here, we show that solid-solid ion transport kinetics are not only impacted by the physical interfacial contact but are also closely associated with the interior local environments within polycrystalline particles. In spite of the initial discrete interfacial contact, solid-state batteries may still display homogeneous lithium-ion transportation owing to the chemical potential force to achieve an ionic-electronic equilibrium. Nevertheless, once the interior local environment within secondary particle is disrupted upon cycling, it triggers charge distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity and leads to fast capacity fading. Our work highlights the importance of interior local environment within polycrystalline particles for electrochemical reactions in solid-state batteries and provides crucial insights into underlying mechanism in interfacial transport.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Enabling Highly Stable Li–O 2 Batteries with Full Discharge–Charge Capability: The Porous Binder- and Carbon-Free IrNi Nanosheet Cathode

Rechargeable aprotic Li-O 2 batteries have drawn much attention in light of their ultrahigh theoretical energy density. However, the sluggish kinetics of oxygen cathode reactions lead to huge energy loss, while the unfavorable side reactions associated with the widely used carbon and binder account for fast battery decay during cycles. In this work, hierarchically holey IrNi alloy nanosheets are facilely designed on Ni foam substrate as a freestanding, binder- and carbon-free cathode to address these challenges. The IrNi nanosheets consist of numerous interconnected nanoparticles, forming abundant nanoholes, benefiting active-site exposure. Moreover, the meso-/macropores pave channels for the transfer of oxygen and lithium ions and provide enough accommodation for the insoluble Li 2 O 2 product. The corresponding Li-O 2 batteries demonstrate low polarization and excellent cycle stability with full discharge/charge capability (up to 292 cycles at a current density of 0.2 mA cm -2 within a voltage range from 2.3 to 4.3 V). The long-term cycling performance is principally attributed to the exclusive catalytic stability of the holey IrNi nanosheets and its good compatibility with dimethyl sulfoxide-based electrolyte. Our research provides novel insights into the design of robust and freestanding porous cathodes for high energy density Li-O 2 batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗

Structural Distortion Induced by Manganese Activation in a Lithium-Rich Layered Cathode

The search for batteries with high energy density has highlighted lithium-rich manganese-based layered oxides due to their exceptionally high capacity. Although it is clear that both cationic and anionic redox are present in the charge compensation mechanism, the microstructural evolution of the Li 2 MnO 3 -like phase during anionic redox and its role in battery performance and structural stability are still not fully understood. Here, we systematically probe microstructural evolution using spatially resolved synchrotron X-ray measurements and reveal an underlying interaction between the Li 2 MnO 3 -like domains and bulk rhombohedral structure. Mn ion activation and a previously unobserved structural distortion are discovered at high voltages, and can be related to structural strain present in the Li 2 MnO 3 -like phase upon substantial lithium ion extraction. Moreover, we elucidate a correlation between this structural distortion and irreversible phase transitions by thermally perturbing delithiated samples. These insights highlight a pathway toward achieving high capacity cathode materials required for future commercial applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Surface regulation enables high stability of single-crystal lithium-ion cathodes at high voltage

Abstract Single-crystal cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries have attracted increasing interest in providing greater capacity retention than their polycrystalline counterparts. However, after being cycled at high voltages, these single-crystal materials exhibit severe structural instability and capacity fade. Understanding how the surface structural changes determine the performance degradation over cycling is crucial, but remains elusive. Here, we investigate the correlation of the surface structure, internal strain, and capacity deterioration by using operando X-ray spectroscopy imaging and nano-tomography. We directly observe a close correlation between surface chemistry and phase distribution from homogeneity to heterogeneity, which induces heterogeneous internal strain within the particle and the resulting structural/performance degradation during cycling. We also discover that surface chemistry can significantly enhance the cyclic performance. Our modified process effectively regulates the performance fade issue of single-crystal cathode and provides new insights for improved design of high-capacity battery materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗