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Intercalation events visualized in single microcrystals of graphite.
Edward R White1, Jared J Lodico2, B C Regan3
1Department of Physics & Astronomy and California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. ewhite@physics.ucla.edu.
Nature Communications
|December 8, 2017
Summary
Electrochemical intercalation in graphite, crucial for batteries, occurs via variable current pulses, not discrete stages. Nanoscopic defects, not classical theories, govern these dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Electrochemical intercalation is key to rechargeable batteries like lithium-ion and carbon-enhanced lead-acid.
- Current models propose discrete stages for intercalation, but 3D structures and transition dynamics remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamics and mechanisms of graphite intercalation at the nanoscale.
- To challenge and refine existing theories on intercalation staging.
Main Methods:
- In-situ video microscopy using optical and scanning transmission electron microscopy.
- Observation of single graphite microcrystals during intercalation in concentrated sulfuric acid.
Main Results:
- Observed highly variable current pulses during intercalation charge transfer.
- Found that these pulses, linked to structural changes, deviate from classical intercalation theories.
- Identified random nanoscopic defects as dominant factors in intercalation dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Classical theories of discrete intercalation stages are insufficient to explain observed phenomena.
- Nanoscopic defects play a critical role in controlling the dynamics of electrochemical intercalation in graphite.
- This finding necessitates a re-evaluation of intercalation mechanisms for energy storage applications.
