Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “electrode preparation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Solid State Multinuclear Magnetic Resonance Investigation of Electrolyte Decomposition Products on Lithium Ion Electrodes

Solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) formation in lithium ion cells prepared with advanced electrolytes is investigated by solid state multinuclear (7Li, 19F, 31P) magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of electrode materials harvested from cycled cells subjected to an accelerated aging protocol. The electrolyte composition is varied to include the addition of fluorinated carbonates and triphenyl phosphate (TPP, a flame retardant). In addition to species associated with LiPF6 decomposition, cathode NMR spectra are characterized by the presence of compounds originating from the TPP additive. Substantial amounts of LiF are observed in the anodes as well as compounds originating from the fluorinated carbonates.

Li-ion battery electrolytes↗
DOE OSTI2020

Developing Novel Electrode Materials for Aqueous Battery

Aqueous rechargeable batteries (ARBs) are particularly interesting for large-scale energy storage due to their inherent safety, superior rate capability and environmental friendliness. However, ARBs are not widely explored as yet, so we proposed designing, preparing, and testing new intercalation materials for ARBs. Development of these electrodes will enrich the electrode chemistry of existing ARBs, open up new avenues for high-performance electrode and system design, offer opportunities to improve energy efficiency of water purification, and inform future development of controls strategies and management systems for stationary aqueous energy storage. Researchers from Bosch and LBNL collaborated on relevant materials to pursue and the general design of experiments to implement. Bosch researchers prepared and fabricated the electrodes and used various characterization facilities at LBNL to evaluate electrode performance in-device. The research collaboration resulted in identifying electrode materials capable of Na + and Ca 2+ intercalation in aqueous systems, and their application for desalination was explored using testing platform available at LBNL. Besides the specific materials and their performance, the data collected during the study was also used to inform a broader techno-economic analysis to compare intercalation-desalination technique to commercially available capacitive desalination approach. Outcomes of this research effort will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS2005

Carbon-Nanotube-Based Electrochemical Double-Layer Capacitor Technologies for Spaceflight Applications

Electrochemical double-layer capacitors, or supercapacitors, have tremendous potential as high-power energy sources for use in low-weight hybrid systems for space exploration. Electrodes based on single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) offer exceptional power and energy performance due to the high surface area, high conductivity, and the ability to functionalize the SWCNTs to optimize capacitor properties. This paper will report on the preparation of electrochemical capacitors incorporating SWCNT electrodes and their performance compared with existing commercial technology. Preliminary results indicate that substantial increases in power and energy density are possible. The effects of nanotube growth and processing methods on electrochemical capacitor performance is also presented. The compatibility of different SWCNTs and electrolytes was studied by varying the type of electrolyte ions that accumulate on the high-surface-area electrodes.

Arepalli, S.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Optimization of Graphite–SiO blend electrodes for lithium-ion batteries: Stable cycling enabled by single-walled carbon nanotube conductive additive

Lithium-alloying materials are of great interest to improve the gravimetric and volumetric energy density of lithium-ion batteries, though their associated volume fluctuation with cycling often leads to poor cycling performance. Active-inactive alloys and blending alloys with carbon materials are common strategies to accommodate volume fluctuation. Herein we set out to optimize graphite-SiO blend electrode formulations to eliminate rapid capacity fade. Electrodes with highly stable cycling were prepared by simple planetary mixing procedures, enabled by the use of just a fraction of a weight percent of commercial SWCNTs as the only conductive additive, and by the appropriate choice of binder/stabilizing agent. In fact, the use of SWCNTs allowed for graphite-free SiO electrodes with approximately 74% higher volumetric energy density relative to traditional graphite electrodes, and superior capacity retention in coin-type full-cell testing versus NMC532 cathodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Fluorinated co-solvent promises Li-S batteries under lean-electrolyte conditions

Practical lithium-sulfur batteries stipulate the use of a lean-electrolyte and a high Coulombic efficiency of the lithium metal anode. In this work, we employ 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethyl 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl ether as a co-solvent in the electrolyte of Li-S batteries to meet the demands. The co-solvent fosters the formation of a LiF-rich solid electrolyte interphase on lithium metal anode, as revealed by Ab initio molecular dynamics and Femtosecond Stimulated Raman spectroscopy. The co-solvent results in an average Coulombic efficiency of 99.4% for lithium plating/stripping cycles. Full cells with a capacity ratio of 2 between lithium anode and the S@PAN cathode (3 gs cm –2 ) exhibited a stable cycle life over 100 cycles at an electrolyte/sulfur ratio of 2 µL mg –1 , validating the high Coulombic efficiency of the lithium anode and demonstrating the compatibility of the electrolyte with both electrodes. To enhance the energy density, we prepared a hybrid cathode composed of 45 wt.% VS 2 mixed with ZnS-coated Li 2 S@graphene as the cathode. Based on the mass of both electrodes and the electrolyte, the full cell delivers an energy density of 483 Wh kg –1 , which demonstrates viable Li-S batteries with the lean-electrolyte.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Design of Graded Cathode Catalyst Layers with Various Ionomers for Fuel Cell Application

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) powered by green hydrogen (H2) have become a promising alternative to conventional hydrocarbon-fueled power generators. Despite technological advancements, further improvements in efficiency, durability, and low-cost production are required for the widespread adoption of PEMFCs. Though numerous approaches to improve PEMFC electrodes have been reported, most strategies utilize a single material set (e.g., one combination of catalyst and ionomer) to improve performance. Alternatively, anisotropic (graded) electrode structures with locally tunable properties may yield superior electrode performance due to improved ionic and gas phase transport. In this work, graded cathode catalyst layers (CCLs) incorporating different ionomers (Nafion D2020, Aquivion D79-25BS, and HOPI) were designed and prepared. Performance screening shows that some of these graded electrode structures have comparable performance to optimized single-ionomer electrode structures (D2020) suggesting some synergistic benefit. Additionally, we show that electrodes with lower equivalent weight (EW) D79 ionomer near the membrane and D2020 ionomer near the gas diffusion media outperformed electrodes with the inverted configuration. Finally, EIS analysis shows some graded ionomer structures (e.g. D79/D2020) have better than expected H+ conductivity, generally leading to better electrode performance. However, further optimization of ionomer content and catalyst ink formulations is needed to improve overall PEMFC performance.

DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION↗
DOE OSTI2025

Topotactic Phase Transformation of Lithiated Spinel to Layered LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2: The Interaction of 3-D and 2-D Li-ion Diffusion

This study investigates the structural evolution of LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 cathode materials for Li-ion batteries as a function of synthesis temperature and its effect on electrochemical performance. It is demonstrated that, as the synthesis temperature increases from 400 to 900 ?C, a gradual topotactic transformation occurs between a lithiated spinel structure, denoted herein as “lithium-excess spinel” LxS-LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 (or LxS-LMNO), and the well-known layered LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 structure prepared at high temperature, HT-LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 (HT-LMNO). The electrochemical capacity of the LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 electrodes follows a parabolic trend with increasing synthesis temperature, which is attributed primarily to the gradual transformation of 3-dimensional (3-D) to 2-dimensional (2-D) diffusion pathways for the Li ions. When synthesized at 400 °C, LxS-LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 electrodes perform well, benefitting from the 3-D network of channels within the LxS structure. By contrast, when prepared at 500-700 °C, LiMn0.5Ni0.5O2 electrodes operate poorly, which is attributed to the formation of locally disordered structural arrangements that impede Li-ion diffusion. Such an increase in local disorder in the mid-temperature synthesis range is attributed to the structural frustration between the lithium-excess spinal and layered end-members. The transformation from the locally disordered to more ordered layered components between 700 °C and 900 °C enhances electrochemical performance. The study opens new avenues for designing next-generation Mn-rich cathode materials by fine-tuning the synthesis conditions as well as the composition and structure of LxS-LMNO electrodes.

energy storage↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ordered CoPt oxygen reduction catalyst with high performance and durability

A high-performance and durable polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell cathode catalyst composed of an ordered L10–CoPt core and a thin Pt shell was designed and prepared. Under practical fuel cell membrane electrode assembly testing conditions, the cathode catalyst showed an outstanding initial mass activity of 0.6 A/mgPt, which satisfies the U.S. Department of Energy performance target while also meeting the durability target of less than 40% loss in mass activity after 30,000 accelerated stress test voltage cycles. The high structural stability of the L10–CoPt@Pt-shell catalyst was confirmed by postmortem materials characterization, and the origin of this robustness was revealed by density functional theory calculations, where the barriers for diffusion of Co atoms were observed to be significantly increased in the ordered intermetallic core.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrolyte–Electrocatalyst Interfacial Effects of Polymeric Materials for Tandem CO 2 Capture and Conversion Elucidated Using In Situ Electrochemical AFM

Integrating CO 2 capture and electrochemical conversion has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the net energy required for CO 2 regeneration in traditional CO 2 capture and conversion schemes and can be coupled with carbon-free renewable electricity. Polyethylenimine (PEI)-based materials have been previously studied as CO 2 capture materials and can be integrated in these reactive capture processes. PEI-based electrolytes have been found to significantly increase the CO 2 loading, and impact selectivity and rate of product formation when compared to the conventional aqueous electrolytes. However, the influence of these materials at the catalyst–electrode interface is currently not well understood. In this study, PEI-based electrolytes were prepared and their impact on the morphology of a silver electrode performing electrochemical CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) was studied using in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM). The presence of PEI on the electrode surface could be distinguished based on nanomechanical properties (DMT modulus), and changes were observed as negative polarization was applied, revealing a reorganization of the PEI chains due to electrostatic interactions. These changes were impacted by the electrolyte composition, including the addition of supporting electrolyte KHCO 3 salt, as well as CO 2 captured by the PEI-based electrolyte, which minimized the change in surface mechanical properties and degree of PEI alignment on the electrode surface. The changes in surface mechanical properties were also dependent on the PEI polymer length, with higher molecular weight PEI showing different reconfiguration than the shorter polymer brushes. The study highlights that the choice of polymer material, the electrolyte composition, and CO 2 captured impact the nearelectrode environment, which has implications for CO 2 R, and presents EC-AFM as a new tool that can be used to probe the dynamic behavior of these interfaces during electrocatalysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1986

Solar silicon from directional solidification of MG silicon produced via the silicon carbide route

A process of metallurgical grade (MG) silicon production is presented which appears particularly suitable for photovoltaic (PV) applications. The MG silicon is prepared in a 240 KVA, three electrode submerged arc furnace, starting from high grade quartz and high purity silicon carbide. The silicon smelted from the arc furnace was shown to be sufficiently pure to be directionally solidified to 10 to 15 kg. After grinding and acid leaching, had a material yield larger than 90%. With a MG silicon feedstock containing 3 ppmw B, 290 ppmw Fe, 190 ppmw Ti, and 170 ppmw Al, blended with 50% of off grade electronic grade (EG) silicon to reconduct the boron content to a concentration acceptable for solar cell fabrication, the 99% of deep level impurities were concentrated in the last 5% of the ingot. Quite remarkably this material has OCV values higher tham 540 mV and no appreciable shorts due to SiC particles.

Rustioni, M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Lightweight nickel electrodes for nickel/hydrogen cells

Thick nickel electrodes with lightweight substrate material have been prepared and tested in Ni/H2 boilerplate cells containing 26 percent KOH electrolyte. Lightweight substrates used were either 85 or 90 percent in porosity and either 0.8 or 2 mm in thickness, respectively, compared with 80 to 82 percent porosity and 0.75 to 0.8 mm thickness of the state-of-the-art sintered plaque substrate. All of these thick electrodes had substantially improved theoretical (or chemical) capacity over that of state-of-the-art sintered nickel plaque electrodes. However, utilization of the active material was low (65 to 80 percent) compared with that of the state-of-the-art electrodes (approximately 90 percent) in 26 percent KOH. Due to this low utilization, the electrodes using 85 percent porous substrates did not show any advantage over the state-of-the-art ones. The electrodes using a 90 percent porous substrate, however, showed 17 percent higher usable specific capacity (about 0.13 Ah/g in 26 percent KOH) than that of the state-of-the-art nickel electrodes despite the low utilization. These electrodes achieved up to 4860 cycles at 40 percent depth-of-discharge with neither capacity loss nor any significant changes of rate capability and charging efficiency with cycling.

Lim, Hong S.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Low-temperature synthesis process of making MgzMxOy, where M is Mn, V or Fe, for manufacture of electrode materials for group II cation-based batteries

Preparation, characterization, and an electrochemical study of Mg 0.1 V 2 O 5 prepared by a novel sol-gel method with no high-temperature post-processing are disclosed. Cyclic voltammetry showed the material to be quasi-reversible, with improved kinetics in an acetonitrile-, relative to a carbonate-, based electrolyte. Galvanostatic test data under a C/10 discharge showed a delivered capacity >250 mAh/g over several cycles. Based on these results, a magnesium anode battery, as disclosed, would yield an average operating voltage ˜3.2 Volts with an energy density ˜800 mWh/g for the cathode material, making the newly synthesized material a viable cathode material for secondary magnesium batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unraveling the impact of the degree of dry mixing on dry-processed lithium-ion battery electrodes

Dry processing of lithium-ion battery electrodes facilely realizes the powder-to-film manner, which is thus regarded as a highly promising strategy for lithium-ion battery manufacturing. However, a fundamental understanding of the impact of the involved dry mixing is still rarely reported. In this work, the degree of dry mixing is monitored by the dry mixing time, and a set of dry-processed electrodes with different degree of dry mixing is accordingly prepared and comprehensively studied. This work novelly reveals that the degree of dry mixing exhibits pronounced impact on the morphology, the homogeneity of electrode components and the degree of PTFE fiberization, which leads to difference in the mechanical strength and electrochemical performance of dry-processed electrodes. Accordingly, it is suggested that a moderate degree of dry mixing is preferred for high-performance dry-processed lithium-ion battery electrodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Mitigating the Effects of Au-Al Intermetallic Compounds Due to High-Temperature Processing of Surface-Electrode Ion Traps

Stringent physical requirements need to be met for the high-performing surface-electrode ion traps used in quantum computing and timekeeping. In particular, these traps must survive a high-temperature environment for vacuum chamber preparation and support high RF voltage on closely spaced electrodes. Due to the use of gold wire bonds on aluminum pads, intermetallic growth can lead to wire bond failure via breakage or high resistance, limiting the lifetime of a trap assembly to a single multiday bake at 200 ° C. Using traditional thick metal stacks to prevent intermetallic growth, however, can result in trap failure due to RF breakdown events. Through high-temperature experiments, we conclude that an ideal metal stack for ion traps is Ti/Pt/Au (20/100/250 nm), which allows for a cumulative bakeable time of roughly 86 days without compromising the trap voltage performance. This increase in the bakeable lifetime of ion traps will remove the need to discard otherwise functional ion traps when vacuum hardware is upgraded, which will greatly benefit ion trap experiments.

Haltli, Raymond A.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Improved Instrument for Detecting Water and Ice in Soil

An instrument measures electrical properties of relatively dry soils to determine their liquid water and/or ice contents. Designed as a prototype of instruments for measuring the liquid-water and ice contents of lunar and planetary soils, the apparatus could also be utilized for similar purposes in research and agriculture involving terrestrial desert soils and sands, and perhaps for measuring ice buildup on aircraft surfaces. This instrument is an improved version of the apparatus described in Measuring Low Concentrations of Liquid Water and Ice in Soil (NPO-41822), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 33, No. 2 (February 2009), page 22. The designs of both versions are based on the fact that the electrical behavior of a typical soil sample is well approximated by a network of resistors and capacitors in which resistances decrease and capacitances increase (and the magnitude and phase angle of impedance changes accordingly) with increasing water content. The previous version included an impedance spectrometer and a jar into which a sample of soil was placed. Four stainless-steel screws at the bottom of the jar were used as electrodes of a fourpoint impedance probe connected to the spectrometer. The present instrument does not include a sample jar and can be operated without acquiring or handling samples. Its impedance probe consists of a compact assembly of electrodes housed near the tip of a cylinder. The electrodes protrude slightly from the cylinder (see Figure 1). In preparation for measurements, the cylinder is simply pushed into the ground to bring the soil into contact with the electrodes.

Buehler, Martin↗
DOE OSTI2025

Laser ablation of high-loading Li-ion battery electrodes improves accessible capacity and cycle life for Behind-the-Meter Storage

Adoption of Behind-the-Meter Storage (BTMS) requires design of batteries that enable high safety, long cycle life, and low cost at the system level. Pairing Li 4 Ti 5 O 12 (LTO) with LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO) achieves targets related to safety and cycle life, but these materials' low energy densities contribute to higher cost at the system scale. Increasing electrode loading is a simple approach to improve energy density, but comes with a trade-off in electrode utilization due to long, tortuous Li + diffusion pathways. Here, laser ablation is used to microstructure (pattern) high-loading electrodes to enhance electrode performance through improved Li + diffusion pathways. Four cell types, comprising combinations of standard or patterned anode and cathode, were prepared to evaluate the effects of laser ablation at each electrode. A rate test shows that patterning electrodes enhances active material utilization at ≳1C rates. Patterning the cathode yields the most benefit, as cells with a patterned cathode demonstrate a ~20% higher accessible capacity than those without at 1.4C. Additionally, 1C capacity retention of cells with patterned cathode (91% through 3000 cycles) is significantly improved over cells with only the anode patterned (64%) and non-patterned electrodes (50%). Characterization of post-mortem cells before and after refreshing their electrolyte suggests that 1C capacity retention is improved by mitigation of electrode "dry-out". We hypothesize that the microstructure acts as a reservoir of additional electrolyte, or a path for gas to escape, so that active material remains wetted throughout long-term cycling, and/or the microstructure may reduce localized, gas-forming overpotentials in the high-loading electrode.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRS1978

Continuous-flow electrophoresis: Membrane-associated deviations of buffer pH and conductivity

The deviations in buffer pH and conductivity which occur near the electrode membranes in continuous-flow electrophoresis were studied in the Beckman charged particle electrophoresis system and the Hanning FF-5 preparative electrophoresis instrument. The nature of the membranes separating the electrode compartments from the electrophoresis chamber, the electric field strength, and the flow rate of electrophoresis buffer were all found to influence the formation of the pH and conductivity gradients. Variations in electrode buffer flow rate and the time of electrophoresis were less important. The results obtained supported the hypothesis that a combination of Donnan membrane effects and the differing ionic mobilities in the electrophoresis buffer was responsible for the formation of the gradients. The significance of the results for the design and stable operation of continuous-flow electrophoresis apparatus was discussed.

Smolka, A. J. K.↗