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Updated: May 1, 2026
10:03
Characterization of Electrode Materials for Lithium Ion and Sodium Ion Batteries Using Synchrotron Radiation Techniques
Published on: November 11, 2013
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Energy-Transfer-Modulated Structural Evolution during Lithium-Sodium Ion Exchange in Layered Oxide Cathodes
Pengxiang Ji1,2, Lin Zhang3, Lu Gan4
1Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 29, 2026
Summary
Understanding ion-exchange pathways is key for developing advanced cathode materials. This study reveals how ball milling and ultrasonication affect ion exchange kinetics and structure, enabling efficient synthesis of high-performance sodium-ion battery cathodes.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Solid-State Chemistry
Background:
- Ion exchange is crucial for synthesizing metastable layered oxides for energy storage.
- Current understanding of how synthesis pathways influence ion exchange kinetics and material properties is limited.
- Developing efficient and structure-preserving synthesis methods for layered oxides is essential for advancing battery technology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the distinct ion-exchange mechanisms induced by solid-state ball milling and liquid-phase ultrasonication.
- To elucidate the relationship between synthesis pathways, ion exchange kinetics, structural evolution, and electrochemical performance.
- To establish a rational design framework for efficient, structure-preserving synthesis of layered oxide cathodes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Na0.6Li0.2Mn0.8O2 (P2-type) as a model system for sodium-ion battery cathodes.
- Employed solid-state ball milling and liquid-phase ultrasonication as distinct ion-exchange methods.
- Applied atomic-scale imaging techniques to analyze structural evolution and interlayer slip dynamics.
Main Results:
- Ball milling induced rapid, defect-mediated exchange and a stress-activated superstructure transition.
- Ultrasonication resulted in kinetically limited exchange with intralayer disorder via a phonon-like mechanism.
- A sequential ball milling-ultrasonication process achieved 98.3% exchange in 2 hours, preserving structural integrity.
- Postannealing yielded a cathode with a reversible capacity of 235 mAh/g.
Conclusions:
- Distinct energy-transfer modes in ball milling and ultrasonication lead to fundamentally different ion-exchange behaviors and structural evolution.
- Mechanistic insights enabled the development of an efficient, structure-preserving sequential synthesis process.
- This work provides general principles for ion-exchange chemistry in solid oxides and a framework for rational cathode design.
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