In situ/operando characterization of doped lithium manganese oxide nanoparticles as positive electrode materials for lithium-ion battery

• Grant number: 19/25700-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Nerilso Bocchi
• Grantee: Juliana Bruneli Falqueto
• Supervisor: Mario El Kazzi
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Research place: Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), Switzerland
• Associated to the scholarship: 18/16158-6 - Synthesis and characterization of nanoparticles of manganese and lithium spinel doped with cations, anion and cations + anion as positive electrode materials for lithium ion battery, BP.DR

Abstract

This research proposal is inserted in the context of development of new energy storage materials, which together with global warming and renewable energy production, are important topics under discussion today in society. In order to meet future energy demands and also due to the depletion of fossil fuels, the search for new technologies of sustainable energy production and storage becomes essential. In this context, lithium-ion batteries dominate the market as a power source for portable equipment and are a promising solution for applications which demand high power such as electric vehicles and grid energy storage, which enforce huge demand on the further improvement of these batteries. In order to build better batteries, it is crucial to understand how components within a real device respond and interact during its use. Recently, significant part of the researches on lithium-ion battery focus on the development of advance in situ and in operando characterization techniques to in-depth understanding the reaction mechanism during an electrochemical response of the battery. In particular, synchrotron X-ray techniques for in situ characterization stand out as one of the most effective methods that allow nearly non-destructive characterization. Lithium manganese oxides with spinel structure are considered as one of the promising cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries because of their reasonable specific capacity, being environmentally friendly, safety and low cost. However, this material still requires further investigation to improve its cycling performance. For such, some strategies have been attempted as cationic doping (partial substitution of manganese by others cations like aluminum, cobalt and nickel), and particle size control reaching nanometer scales. Therefore, this research plan proposes the in-deep study of structural change and valence change of manganese ion by its partial substitution by Al3+ or Ni2+ or Co2+ in the nanoparticles of lithium manganese oxides spinel type already synthetized in our laboratory (at UFSCar) using combination of electrochemical and in situ/operando characterization techniques. (AU)