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Updated: May 16, 2025

Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
Interfacial and Structural Evolution of LiMn2O4 in an Ionogel Electrolyte Revealed by In Operando X-ray Scattering
Carlos G Torres-Castanedo1, Guennadi Evmenenko1, Norman S Luu1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States.
Abstract:
Ionogels, electrolytes containing an ionic liquid and a solid matrix, show potential for enhancing Li-ion battery performance and versatility. Such composite materials offer tunable mechanical properties with the advantages of ionic liquids, such as high ionic conductivity and nonflammability. However, ensuring proper interfacial contact between the gel and electrodes remains challenging. Here, the stability of epitaxial LiMn2O4 (111) electrode thin films was studied in an ionogel electrolyte containing lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (LiTFSI) in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (EMIM-TFSI) and h-BN nanoplatelets. In operando synchrotron X-ray scattering was employed to examine this electrode's interfacial and structural evolution during operation. Despite the ionic liquid's capability to suppress Mn dissolution, loss of crystallinity and formation of irreversible Li2Mn2O4 phase were found, attributed to an inadequate contact between the gel and the cathode.
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