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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.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Fast Surface Oxygen Release Kinetics Accelerate Nanoparticle Exsolution in Perovskite Oxides

Exsolution is a recent advancement for fabricating oxide-supported metal nanoparticle catalysts via phase precipitation out of a host oxide. A fundamental understanding and control of the exsolution kinetics are needed to engineer exsolved nanoparticles to obtain higher catalytic activity toward clean energy and fuel conversion. Since oxygen release via oxygen vacancy formation in the host oxide is behind oxide reduction and metal exsolution, we hypothesize that the kinetics of metal exsolution should depend on the kinetics of oxygen release, in addition to the kinetics of metal cation diffusion. In this report we probe the surface exsolution kinetics both experimentally and theoretically using thin-film perovskite SrTi 0.65 Fe 0.35 O 3 (STF) as a model system. We quantitatively demonstrated that in this system the surface oxygen release governs the metal nanoparticle exsolution kinetics. As a result, by increasing the oxygen release rate in STF, either by reducing the sample thickness or by increasing the surface reactivity, one can effectively accelerate the Fe 0 exsolution kinetics. Fast oxygen release kinetics in STF not only shortened the prereduction time prior to the exsolution onset, but also increased the total quantity of exsolved Fe 0 over time, which agrees well with the predictions from our analytical kinetic modeling. The consistency between the results obtained from in situ experiments and analytical modeling provides a predictive capability for tailoring exsolution, and highlights the importance of engineering host oxide surface oxygen release kinetics in designing exsolved nanocatalysts.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Investigation and Suppression of Oxygen Release by LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 Cathode under Overcharge Conditions

The safety issue of lithium-ion batteries is a crucial factor limiting their large-scale application. Therefore, it is of practical significance to evaluate the impact of their overcharge behavior because of the severe levels of oxygen release of cathode materials during this process. Here, by combining a variety of in situ techniques of spectroscopy and electron microscopy, this work studies the structural degradation of LiNi 0.8 Co 0.1 Mn 0.1 O 2 (NCM811) accompanying the oxygen release in the overcharge process. It is observed that a small amount of O 2 evolves from the initial surface at ≈4.7V. When charging to a higher voltage (≈5.5V), a large amount of O 2 evolves on the newly formed surface due to the occurrence of microcracks. Based on experimental results and theoretical calculations, it is determined that the oxygen release mainly occurs in the near-surface regions, where the remaining oxygen vacancies accumulate to create voids. To suppress the oxygen release, single-crystalline NCM811 with integrated structure is introduced and serves as a cathode, which can effectively inhibit morphology destruction and reduce the activation of lattice oxygen in the surface region. These findings provide a theoretical basis and effective strategy for improving the safety performance of Ni-rich cathode materials in practical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2019

Gradient Li-rich oxide cathode particles immunized against oxygen release by a molten salt treatment

Lithium-rich transition metal oxide (Li 1+X M 1–X O 2 ) cathodes have high energy density above 900 Wh kg –1 due to hybrid anion- and cation-redox (HACR) contributions, but critical issues such as oxygen release and voltage decay during cycling have prevented their application for years. Here we show that a molten molybdate-assisted LiO extraction at 700 °C creates lattice-coherent but depth (r)-dependent Li 1+X(r) M 1–X(r) O 2 particles with a Li-rich (X ≈ 0.2) interior, a Li-poor (X ≈ –0.05) surface and a continuous gradient in between. The gradient Li-rich single crystals eliminate the oxygen release to the electrolyte and, importantly, still allow stable oxygen redox contributions within. Here, both the metal valence states and the crystal structure are well maintained during cycling. The gradient HACR cathode displays a specific density of 843 Wh kg –1 after 200 cycles at 0.2C and 808 Wh kg –1 after 100 cycles at 1C, with very little oxygen release and consumption of electrolyte. This high-temperature immunization treatment can be generalized to leach other elements to avoid unexpected surface reactions in batteries.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Net Electronic Charge as an Effective Electronic Descriptor for Oxygen Release and Transport Properties of SrFeO 3 -based Oxygen Sorbents

Perovskite oxides, as oxygen sorbents, exhibit excellent potential in thermochemical redox applications such as chemical looping air separation (CLAS), resulting from their excellent redox properties and high tunability. The structural and compositional flexibility of perovskites, while making these mixed oxides highly versatile, also poses challenges for their design and optimization. Moreover, the elevated operating temperature and dynamic oxygen partial pressure swings during redox processes add additional complications for oxygen sorbent design. From a fundamental standpoint, finding simple yet effective descriptors for the effect of cation substitutions on oxygen sorbents’ redox and oxygen transport properties are of significant importance for rational optimization of perovskite-based oxygen sorbents. In the present study, a series of A/B-site-doped SrFeO 3-δ perovskites are investigated using density functional theory (DFT) + U simulations. From these simulations, an effective electronic structural descriptor, the net electronic charge (Δe) of oxygen anions, is extracted based on its excellent correlations with vacancy formation energy, experimentally derived oxygen capacity, and oxygen vacancy migration barrier. Overall, these findings provide an effective tool to correlate the oxygen sorbents’ redox performances with a simple yet physically meaningful descriptor for rational design and optimization of perovskites in the context of CLAS.

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

Hybrid Density Functional Theory Comparison of Oxygen Release and Solvent Decomposition Kinetics on Li x NiO 2 Surfaces

High-nickel-content layered oxides are among the most promising electric vehicle battery cathode materials. However, their interfacial reactivity with electrolytes and tendency toward oxygen release (possibly yielding reactive 1 O 2 ) remain degradation concerns. Elucidating the most relevant (i.e., fastest) interfacial degradation mechanism will facilitate future mitigation strategies. We apply screened hybrid density functional (HSE06) calculations to compare the reaction kinetics of Li x NiO 2 surfaces with ethylene carbonate (EC) with those of O 2 release. Further, on both the (001) and (104) facets, EC oxidative decomposition exhibits lower activation energies than O 2 release. Our calculations, coupled with previously computed liquid-phase reaction rates of 1 O 2 with EC, strongly question the role of “reactive 1 O 2 ” species in electrolyte oxidative degradation. The possible role of other oxygen species is discussed. To deal with the challenges of modeling Li x NiO 2 surface reactivity, we emphasize a “local structure” approach instead of pursuing the global energy minimum.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2002

Unusual Reactivity of the Martian Soil: Oxygen Release Upon Humidification

Recent lab results show that oxygen evolves from superoxide-coated mineral grains upon exposure to water vapor. This observation is additional support of the hypothesis that UV-generated O2 is responsible for the reactivity of the martian soil. Discussion of current NASA research opportunities, status of various programs within the Solar System Exploration Division, and employment opportunities within NASA Headquarters to support these programs. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Yen, A. S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Spatial Heterogenous Redox Couples Degradation in Sodium-Ion Battery Cathode Materials and the Mitigation of Voltage Fade by Blocking Oxygen Release

The use of anionic redox has become a new paradigm for improving the energy density of rechargeable batteries, which is essential for improving the market competitiveness of sodium-ion batteries. However, issues such as voltage attenuation and cycling stability degradation persist in layered oxide anion redox cathode materials. Here, in this study, we systematically investigate the classic Na-ion cathode material Na 0.6 Li 0.2 Mn 0.8 O 2 , and the primary causes of voltage decay are identified as the activation of cations and the reduction in anion redox activity. In addition, the activation of cations is closely associated with anion reactions. Through the application of sophisticated multiscale synchrotron absorption spectroscopy and imaging techniques, we have identified a pronounced pattern of spatially dependent degradation in the evolution of redox couples, which is more evident from the material’s surface to its core. With this understanding, we introduced a surface fluorination approach that modulates the local chemical coordination environment. This strategy increases the formation energy of surface oxygen vacancies and locks transition metals oxide state. Consequently, it enables more reversible anionic redox reactions, which block the spatial progression of degradation and mitigates voltage decay.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Substituted SrFeO 3 as robust oxygen sorbents for thermochemical air separation: correlating redox performance with compositional and structural properties

Thermochemical air separation via cyclic redox reactions of oxide-based oxygen sorbents has the potential to achieve high energy efficiency. Although a number of promising sorbents have been investigated, further improvements in sorbent performance through a fundamental understanding of the structure–performance relationships are highly desirable. In this study, we systematically investigated the effects of A and B site dopants on the oxygen uptake/release properties (i.e., vacancy formation energy, reduction enthalpy, oxygen release temperature, and oxygen capacity) of the SrFeO 3 family of perovskites as oxygen sorbents. A monotonic correlation between DFT calculated oxygen vacancy formation energy and oxygen release temperature demonstrates the effectiveness of DFT for guiding sorbent selection. Combining vacancy formation energy with stability analysis, dopants such as Ba and Mn have been identified for tuning the redox property of SrFeO 3 sorbents, and increasing the oxygen capacity for temperature and pressure swings when compared to undoped SrFeO 3 . The Mn doped sample proved to be highly stable, with less than a 3% decrease in capacity over 1000 cycles. Although the dynamic nature of the redox process makes it difficult to use a single vacancy formation energy as the descriptor, a systematic approach was developed to correlate the oxygen storage capacities with the sorbents’ compositional properties and vacancy formation energies. The combination of DFT calculations with experimental studies from this study provides a potentially effective strategy for developing improved sorbents for thermochemical air separation.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Uncovering the Critical Role of Ni on Surface Lattice Stability in Anionic Redox Active Li 1.2 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.6 O 2

Anionic redox reaction (ARR) can provide extra capacity beyond transition metal (TM) redox in lithium-rich TM oxide cathodes. Practical ARR application is much hindered by the structure instability, particularly at the surface. Oxygen release has been widely accepted as the ringleader of surficial structure instability. However, the role of TM in surface stability has been much overlooked, not to mention its interplay with oxygen release. Herein, TM dissolution and oxygen release are comparatively investigated in Li 1.2 Ni 0.2 Mn 0.6 O 2 . Ni is verified to detach from the lattice counter-intuitively despite the overwhelming stoichiometry of Mn, facilitating subsequent oxygen release of the ARR process. Intriguingly, surface reorganization occurs following regulated Ni dissolution, enabling the stabilization of the surface and elimination of oxygen release in turn. Accordingly, a novel optimization strategy is proposed by adding a relaxation step at 4.50 V within the first cycle procedure. Battery performance can be effectively improved, with voltage decay suppressed from 3.44 mV/cycle to 1.60 mV/cycle, and cycle stability improved from 66.77% to 90.01% after 100 cycles. This work provides new perspectives for clarifying ARR surface instability and guidance for optimizing ARR performance.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Anionic Oxygen Redox in the High-Lithium Material Li 8 SnO 6

Lithiated transition metal oxide cathode materials that combine oxygen-anion redox [O 2 – /(O 2 ) n– ] with cation redox offer substantial capacities and higher voltage than cathodes without oxygen redox, but oxygen-anion redox is usually accompanied by the formation of peroxo or superoxo species that may cause oxygen release. To clarify the relationship between the oxygen release and peroxide and superoxide dimers without the complication of transition-metal redox, we performed density functional theory calculations to study the layered Li 8 SnO 6 cathode because it has only oxygen-anion redox during delithiation. Features with O–O distances of ~1.5 Å (corresponding to the formation of a peroxide) were observed at 75% lithium concentration, and further delithiation to 62.5% lithium concentration shortened the O–O bond distance to ~1.3 Å (corresponding to the formation of superoxide). The solely anionic oxygen redox stabilizes the delithiated structure of Li 8–x SnO 6 , and it does not cause structural disorder or release oxygen gas. Ab initio molecular dynamics calculations in the supercell at 300 K indicate that oxygen dimerization may occur at 75% lithium concentration. On the (0001) surface with a high lithium concentration (98%), oxygen dimerization is unfavorable. The calculations by HSE06 show that oxygen redox in Li 8 SnO 6 offers an initial voltage (vs Li/Li + ) greater than 4.2 V. The GGA+U calculations indicate that the Li + -polaron in Li 95 Sn 12 O 72 migrates with a migration barrier of only 0.43 eV. Here, this work also quantifies a solely anionic oxygen redox mechanism in Li 8 SnO 6 , and it provides a deeper understanding of anionic oxygen redox in Li-excess oxide cathode materials.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Improving the oxygen redox reversibility of Li-rich battery cathode materials via Coulombic repulsive interactions strategy

The oxygen redox reaction in lithium-rich layered oxide battery cathode materials generates extra capacity at high cell voltages (i.e., >4.5 V). However, the irreversible oxygen release causes transition metal (TM) dissolution, migration and cell voltage decay. To circumvent these issues, we introduce a strategy for tuning the Coulombic interactions in a model Li-rich positive electrode active material, i.e., Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ni 0.2 O 2 . In particular, we tune the Coulombic repulsive interactions to obtain an adaptable crystal structure that enables the reversible distortion of TMO 6 octahedron and mitigates TM dissolution and migration. Moreover, this strategy hinders the irreversible release of oxygen and other parasitic reactions (e.g., electrolyte decomposition) commonly occurring at high voltages. When tested in non-aqueous coin cell configuration, the modified Li-rich cathode material, combined with a Li metal anode, enables a stable cell discharge capacity of about 240 mAh g -1 for 120 cycles at 50 mA g -1 and a slower voltage decay compared to the unmodified Li 1.2 Mn 0.6 Ni 0.2 O 2 .

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Persistent and partially mobile oxygen vacancies in Li-rich layered oxides

Increasing the energy density of layered oxide battery electrodes is challenging as accessing high states of delithiation often triggers voltage degradation and oxygen release. Here we utilize transmission-based X-ray absorption spectromicroscopy and ptychography on mechanically cross-sectioned Li 1.18–x Ni 0.21 Mn 0.53 Co 0.08 O 2–δ electrodes to quantitatively profile the oxygen deficiency over cycling at the nanoscale. The oxygen deficiency penetrates into the bulk of individual primary particles (~200 nm) and is well-described by oxygen vacancy diffusion. Using an array of characterization techniques, we demonstrate that, surprisingly, bulk oxygen vacancies that persist within the native layered phase are indeed responsible for the observed spectroscopic changes. We additionally show that the arrangement of primary particles within secondary particles (~5 μm) causes considerable heterogeneity in the extent of oxygen release between primary particles. Finally, our work merges an ensemble of length-spanning characterization methods and informs promising approaches to mitigate the deleterious effects of oxygen release in lithium-ion battery electrodes.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Surface Vacancy Engineering Re-Routes First-Cycle Redox for Stabilized Li-Rich Layered Cathodes

We demonstrate that atomic-scale surface disorder can control the first-cycle redox sequence of Li-rich layered oxides, eliminating the detrimental process of oxygen release and lattice collapse that degrades performance. In Li1.14Ni0.32Mn0.54O2 (LNMO), a simple chemical treatment introduces oxygen and transition metal (TM) vacancies confined to the particle surface while preserving the bulk layered framework. Multi-modal synchrotron analyses reveal that these vacancies trigger an early oxygen oxidation below 4.4 V, delay nickel oxidation to higher potential, and suppress the formation of covalent Ni4+─O states. This modified pathway prevents irreversible oxygen release, suppresses manganese dissolution, and maintains metal-oxygen coordination at high voltages. Consequently, the treated cathode delivers higher first-cycle Coulombic efficiency (CE), mitigated voltage fade, and superior capacity retention. By directly linking engineered surface disorder to redox reactions and associated structural transformations, this work establishes a general design principle for durable, high-energy-density cathodes.

Kang, Seongkoo↗
DOE OSTI2023

Oxygen redox chemistry: A new approach to high energy density world

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have been considered as promising candidates for large scale energy storage systems due to the great abundance of sodium resources. For sodium layered transition metal oxide cathode materials, oxygen redox can increase the energy density by enabling extra capacity and delivering high voltage. Here we provide a comprehensive overview of oxygen redox in SIBs from the perspectives of mechanism, challenges, and solutions. The previous studies on voltage hysteresis, capacity decay and oxygen release induced by oxygen redox as well as the effectiveness of different strategies including superlattice engineering, elemental substitution, and surface modification on the electrochemical performances of cathode materials with oxygen redox are comprehensively summarized with typical examples. Finally, the remaining challenges and the future research direction are discussed.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗