Operando Real-space Imaging of a Structural Phase Transformation in the High-voltage Electrode LiNiMnO

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Dec 31

PMID 39738022

Authors

Yifei Sun

Sunny Hy

Nelson Hua

James Wingert

Ross Harder

Ying Shirley Meng

Oleg Shpyrko

Andrej Singer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Discontinuous solid-solid phase transformations play a pivotal role in determining the properties of rechargeable battery electrodes. By leveraging operando Bragg Coherent Diffractive Imaging (BCDI), we investigate the discontinuous phase transformation in LiNiMnO within an operational Li metal coin cell. Throughout Li-intercalation, we directly observe the nucleation and growth of the Li-rich phase within the initially charged Li-poor phase in a 500 nm particle. Supported by the microelasticity model, the operando imaging unveils an evolution from a curved coherent to a planar semi-coherent interface driven by dislocation dynamics. Our data indicates negligible kinetic limitations from interface propagation impacting the transformation kinetics, even at a discharge rate of C/2 (80 mA/g). This study highlights BCDI's capability to decode complex operando diffraction data, offering exciting opportunities to study nanoscale phase transformations with various stimuli.

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