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Updated: Feb 27, 2026
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Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
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Chemical Structures of Specific Sodium Ion Battery Components Determined by Operando Pair Distribution Function and
Jonas Sottmann1, Marco Di Michiel2, Helmer Fjellvåg1
1Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1033, 0315, Oslo, Norway.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 27, 2017
Summary
Operando X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT) reveals distinct sodium cycling mechanisms in phosphorus anodes. This advanced technique enables detailed, space-resolved structural analysis of battery components during operation.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Analytical Chemistry
Background:
- Understanding battery component structures is crucial for advancing lithium and sodium ion battery technology.
- Operando structural studies provide key insights into battery function, but isolating individual component contributions is challenging.
- Existing methods struggle to examine specific materials within a complex battery stack.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a method for detailed, space-resolved structural analysis of individual battery components during operation.
- To investigate the cycling mechanisms of sodium in phosphorus anodes using operando X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT).
- To differentiate structural changes in crystalline and amorphous phases within a working battery cell.
Main Methods:
- Utilized operando X-ray diffraction computed tomography (XRD-CT) on an unmodified working battery cell.
- Applied Rietveld and pair distribution function (PDF) analysis to extract structural information.
- Focused on analyzing specific components, such as the phosphorus anode, during electrochemical cycling.
Main Results:
- Successfully extracted detailed, space-resolved structural information from both crystalline and amorphous phases.
- Provided the first detailed structural examination of sodium cycling in a phosphorus anode.
- Observed surprisingly different mechanisms for sodiation and desodiation in the phosphorus anode system.
Conclusions:
- Operando XRD-CT is a powerful technique for examining specific battery materials and their structural evolution.
- The study reveals unique and asymmetric mechanisms governing sodium insertion and extraction in phosphorus anodes.
- This work advances the understanding of high-capacity anode materials for next-generation sodium-ion batteries.
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