In-situ TEM Investigation of All-Solid-State Battery Electrodes with Atomic Layer Deposited Interfacial Layers
EMSL Project ID
48885
Abstract
The objective of the proposed work is to investigate interfacial phenomena that occur in all-solid-state batteries through in situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations under applied bias. This will be accomplished by fabricating core-shell NWs using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) to coat NW surfaces with a superionic ceramic electrolyte, extracting a single NW using a lift-out procedure in a focused ion beam (FIB), and observing lithiation of these single-NW electrodes in an environmental TEM holder. The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is uniquely equipped to perform this research due to their expertise in the complex, multi-step processing necessary to carry this research out from the stage of sample extraction and single-NW manipulation, to fabrication of the in situ electrochemical cell setup, to high-resolution microscopy and spectroscopy in the environmental TEM. This capability, combined with the PI’s expertise in fabrication and high-resolution materials characterization of core-shell NW electrodes coated by ALD, present a unique collaborative team with the necessary expertise to perform transformative research relative to the battery community as a whole. Several key fundamental questions will be addressed in this proposal, including 1) What is the mechanical integrity of the solid electrode-electrolyte interface during cycling? 2) Are there any chemical or morphological changes that occur at these interfaces during lithium transport? 3) Does a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer form in these all-solid-state interfaces, and if so, what is the nature of this SEI layer? 4) How are lithium ions spatially distributed in the NW during this process? The combination of ALD with in situ HRTEM will provide unparalleled resolution in both the synthesis and characterization of these solid interfaces, which are critical to the engineering of functional material systems for solid-state batteries. The In Situ experiments will be further complimented by Atom Probe Tomography (APT) measurements, to provide 3-D reconstructions of the chemical composition of these core-shell NW electrodes before and after operation. This research will impact the U.S. Department of Energy efforts to achieve the EV Everywhere Grand Challenge targets of enabling large-scale penetration of electric vehicles in the United States. In particular, to meet the high power and energy density requirements of the transportation sector, the removal of a flammable liquid electrolyte from batteries will present a dramatic improvement in both the safety and reliability of the power supply, as well as significantly simplifying and reducing the cost of the auxiliary systems required by removing the need for complex thermal management systems. The research performed will contribute to the PI’s ongoing effort as a member of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Resaerch (JCESR), and will promote interdisciplinary and inter-institutional publications, which are a major target of the DOE-hub philosophy. The results will be disseminated through conference presentations and publications, and will contribute valuable information to the electrochemistry and materials science communities working in the field of solid state ionics and all-solid-state batteries
Project Details
Project type
Large-Scale EMSL Research
Start Date
2015-10-01
End Date
2017-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Team Members
Related Publications
Bielinski AR, M Boban, Y He, E Kazyak, DH Lee, C Wang, A Tuteja, and NP Dasgupta. 2017. "Rational Design Of Hyperbranched Nanowire Systems For Tunable Superomniphobic Surfaces Enabled By Atomic Layer Deposition." ACS Nano 11(1):478-489. doi:10.1021/acsnano.6b06463
Kazyak E, KH Chen, KN Wood, AL Davis, T Thompson, AR Bielinski, A Sanchez, X Wang, C Wang, JS Sakamoto, and NP Dasgupta. 2017. "Atomic Layer Deposition of Lithium Solid Electrolyte Garnet Li7La3Zr2O12." ACS Nano 29(8):3785–3792. doi:10.1021/acs.chemmater.7b00944