Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Lithium-ion Battery Cathodes'

The Li-ion field of battery research has in the latest decades made substantial progress and is seen to be the most promising battery technology due to the high volume and specific energy densities of Li-ion batteries. However, in order to achieve a battery capable of competing with the energy density of a combustion engine, further research into new electrode materials is required. As the cathode materials are the limiting factor in terms of capacity, this is the main area in need of further research. The introduction of 3-D electrodes brought new hope as the ion transportpath is decreased as well as an increased electrode area leading to an increased capacity. This thesis work has focused on the development of aluminium 3-D current collectors in order to improve the electrode area and shorten the Li-ion transportpath. By using a template assisted electrodeposition technique, nanorods of controlled magnitude and order can be synthesized. Furthermore, the electrodeposition brings excellent possibilities of upscaling for future industrial manufacturing of the batterycells. A polycarbonate template material which showed interesting properties,was used in the electrodeposition of aluminium nanorods. As the template pores were nonhomogeneously ordered a number of nonordered nanorods were expected to arise during the deposition. However, a surplus of nanorods in reference to the template pores was acquired. This behavior was investigated and a hypothesis was formed as to the mechanism of the nanorod formation. In order to achieve acomplete cathode electrode, a coating of an ion host material on the nanorods isneeded. Due to its high capacity and voltage, vanadium oxide was selected. Based on previous work with electrodeposition of V2O5 on platinum, a series of experiments were performed to mimic the deposition on an aluminium sample. Unfortunately, the deposition was unsuccessful as the experimental conditions resulted in aluminium corrosion which in turn made deposition of the cathode material impossible. The pH dependence of the deposition was evaluated and the conclusion was drawn, that electrodeposition of vanadium oxide on aluminium is not possible using this approach.

Currently, automotive batteries use intercalation cathodes such as lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) which provide high levels of safety while sacrificing cell voltage and therefore energy density. Lithium transition metal oxide (LiMO2) batteries achieve higher cell voltages at the risk of releasing oxygen gas during charging, which can lead to ignition of the liquid electrolyte. To achieve both safety and high energy density, oxide cathodes must be well characterized under operating conditions. In any intercalation cathode material, the loss of positive lithium ions during charge must be balanced by the loss of negative electrons from the host material. Ideally, the TM ions oxidize to compensate this charge. Alarmingly, the stoichiometry of the latest LiMO2 cathode materials includes more lithium ions than the TM ions can compensate for. Inevitably, peroxide ions or dioxygen gas must form. The former mechanism is vital for lithium-air batteries, while the latter must be avoided. Battery researchers have long sought to completely characterize the intercalation reaction in working batteries. However, the volatile electrolytes employed in batteries are not compatible with vacuum-based characterization techniques, nor are the packaging materials required to contain the liquid. For the first time, a solid state battery (using exposed particles of Li1.17Ni0.25Mn0.58O2) was charged while using soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy to observe the redox trends in nickel, manganese and oxygen. This was combined with innovative hard X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies on the same material to create the most complete picture yet possible of charge compensation.

The rechargeable lithium ion batteries (LIB) are playing increasingly important roles in powering portal commercial electronic devices. They are also the potential power sources of electric mobile vehicles. The first kind of the cathode materials, LiXCoO2, was commercialized by Sony Company in 1980s, and it is still widely used today in LIB. However, the high cost of cobalt source, its environmental unfriendliness and the safety issue of LiXCoO2 have hindered its widespread usage today. Searching for alternative cathode materials with low cost of the precursors, being environmentally benign and more stable in usage has become a hot topic in LIB research and development. In the first part of this study, lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (LiNi0.6Mn0.35Co0.05O2) is studied as the electrode. The materials are synthesized at high temperatures by solid state reaction method. The effect of synthesis temperature on the electrochemical performance is investigated, where characterizations by, for example, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), for particle size distribution, specific surface area, and charge-discharge property, are done over samples prepared at different conditions for comparison. The electrochemical tests of the rechargeable Li ion batteries using LiNi0.6Mn0.35Co0.05 cathode prepared at optimum conditions are carried out in various voltage ranges, at different discharge rates and at high temperature. In another set of experiments, the material is adopted as anode with lithium foil as the cathode, and its capacitance is tested. In the second part of this study, the iron based cathode material is investigated. Lithium iron orthosilicate with carbon coating is synthesized at 700℃ by solid state reaction, which is assisted by high energy ball milling. Characterizations are done for discharge capacities of the samples with different carbon weight ratio coatings.
published_or_final_version
Physics
Master
Master of Philosophy

L’utilisation des batteries lithium-ion est dorénavant une technologie de choix pour le secteur automobile notamment pour son utilisation dans les véhicules hybrides et électriques, du fait d’une importante densité d’énergie disponible ainsi que d’une forte densité de puissance nécessaire à la traction d’un véhicule. Cependant, à cause de l’importante énergie embarquée, la sécurité de tels dispositifs doit être renforcée. Il a été rapporté qu’en conditions abusives de température, l’effet cumulé de la dégradation d’un électrolyte utilisant le sel LiPF6 et l’effet catalytique de matériaux d’électrode positive mène à la formation d’espèces organo-fluorées telles que le 2-fluoroéthanol. Ce projet de thèse vise alors à approfondir la compréhension du rôle des matériaux d’électrode positive vis-à-vis de la dégradation d’électrolyte à base de LiPF6, notamment en étudiant la nature des gaz produits en conditions abusives de température. Pour mener à bien ce projet, un dispositif permettant une analyse in situ des gaz formés a été développé. Le rôle de l’eau sur la formation des espèces organo-fluorées fait également l’objet d’une attention toute particulière. L’influence de plusieurs matériaux d’électrode positive sur la nature des produits de dégradation de l’électrolyte a pu être mise en évidence. Ce travail a ainsi permis d’évaluer l’influence de différents paramètres sur la dégradation thermique de l’électrolyte en vue de prédire le choix des différents constituants d’une batterie lithium-ion
The use of lithium-ion batteries is now a technology of choice for the automotive sector especially for its use in hybrid and electric vehicles, due to a high density of energy available as well as a high power density necessary to the traction of a vehicle. However, due to the high on-board energy, the safety of such devices must be enhanced. It has been reported that under abusive thermal conditions the cumulative effect of degradation of a LiPF6-based electrolyte and the catalytic effect of positive electrode materials leads to the formation of fluoro-organic species such as 2-fluoroethanol. This thesis aims to deepen the understanding of the role of positive electrode materials towards the degradation of LiPF6-based electrolyte, in particular by studying the nature of the gases produced under abusive thermal conditions. To carry out this project, a device allowing an in situ analysis of the formed gases has been developed. The role of water on the formation of fluoro-organic species is also the subject of a particular attention. The influence of several positive electrode materials on the nature of the degradation products of the electrolyte has been demonstrated. This work allowed to evaluate the influence of different parameters on the thermal degradation of the electrolyte in order to predict the choice of the various constituents of a lithium-ion battery

The demand for Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been growing exponentially in recent years due to the proliferation of electric vehicles (EV). A large amount of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach their end-of-life (EOL) within five to seven years. The improper disposal of EOL lithium-ion batteries generates enormous amounts of flammable and explosive hazardous waste. Therefore, cost-effectively recycling LIBs becomes urgent needs. Lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides (NCM) are one of the most essential cathode materials for EV applications due to their long cycle life, high capacity, and low cost. In 2008, 18.9% of Lithium-ion batteries used NCM cathode material worldwide while this number increased to 31% six years later. An environment–friendly and low-cost direct recycling process for NCM has been developed in this project. The goal of this project is to recycle the EOL NCM and yield battery-grade NCM with equivalent electrochemical performance compared to virgin materials. In order to achieve this goal, four different heat treatment conditions are investigated during the direct recycling process. From the experimental results, the charge and discharge capacities of the recycled material are stable (between 151-155 mAh/g) which is similar to that of the commercial MTI NCM when sintered at 850 °C for 12 hours in the air. In addition, the cycling performance of recycled NCM is better than the commercial MTI NCM up to 100 cycles.
Master of Science
The demand for Lithium-ion batteries has been growing exponentially in recent years due to the proliferation of electric vehicles. A large amount of lithium-ion batteries are expected to reach their end-of-life within five to seven years. The improper disposal of end-of-life lithium-ion batteries generates enormous amounts of flammable and explosive hazardous waste. Therefore, cost-effectively recycling Lithium-ion batteries becomes urgent needs. Lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides are one of the most essential cathode materials for electric vehicles applications due to their long cycle life, high capacity, and low cost. In 2008, 18.9% of Lithium-ion batteries used Lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides cathode material worldwide while this number increased to 31% six years later. An environment–friendly and low-cost direct recycling process for Lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxides material has been developed in this project. The goal of this project is to recycle the end-of-life manganese oxides cathode material. In order to achieve this goal, four different heat treatment conditions are investigated during the direct recycling process. From the experimental results, the cycling performance of recycled NCM is better than the commercial MTI NCM.

This PhD work is dedicated to the discovery and study of new cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. To obtain new materials, a well-known strategy based on ion-exchanging alkali metals within stable crystalline frameworks was used. Ion-exchange procedures between sodium and lithium ions were performed on known sodiated materials, NaMnTiO4 with the Na0.44MnO2 structure and NaFeTiO4 and Na2Fe3-xSn2xSb1-xO8 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) with the calcium-ferrite structure. A combination of Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray (XRD) and Neutron (NPD) diffractions was used to determine the crystal structure of the samples obtained via ion-exchange and confirmed that LiMnTiO4 and LiFeTiO4 and Li2Fe3-xSn2xSb1-xO8 (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) were obtained with a 1:1 ion-exchange between sodium and lithium. LiMnTiO4 has the orthorhombic Pbam space group, with a = 9.074(5), b = 24.97(1) and c = 2.899(2) Å. The shapes and dimensions of the channels are modified compared to NaMnTiO4, with displaced alkali metal positions and occupancies. LiMnTiO4 was cycled vs Li and up to 0.89 lithium ions can be reversibly inserted into the structure, with a discharge capacity of 137 mAh/g after 20 cycles at C/20 and room temperature. At 60°C, all the lithium is removed at the end of the first charge at C/20, with subsequent cycles showing reversible insertion of 1.06 Li-ions when cycled between 1.5 and 4.6 V. The electrochemistry of calcium-ferrite LiFeTiO4 and Li2Fe3SbO8 was investigated in half cells versus lithium and up to 0.63 and 1.35 lithium ions can be reversibly inserted into the structure after 50 cycles at a C/5 rate, respectively. LiFeTiO4 showed good cyclability with no capacity fade observed after the second cycle while Li2Fe3SbO8 exhibited a constant capacity fade with a 60 % capacity retention after the 50th cycle. Doping Li2Fe3SbO8 with tin reduces the capacity. However, the capacity retention is significantly enhanced. For Li2Fe2.5Sb0.5SnO8 after 20 cycles at C/5, the capacity is stable and comparable with that observed for Li2Fe3SbO8 after the same number of cycles. Using ion-exchange procedures has allowed new metastable materials to be obtained which have the potential to be used as cathodes in lithium-ion batteries. Doping these families of materials with different atoms has been shown to improve their electrochemical performance. Ex situ XRD was used to demonstrate that the original structures of LiMnTiO4, LiFeTiO4 and Li2Fe3SbO8 are retained during cycling. The volume change observed for Li2Fe3SbO8 upon delithiation was particularly noteworthy with a small decrease of 0.9 % at the end of charge when cycled at C/100 and room temperature, indicating structural stability upon lithium insertion/de-insertion.

Les batteries lithium ions sont la technologie de référence pour le stockage électrochimique de l’énergie. Cependant, les matériaux cathodiques de ces batteries comme LiCoO2, LiMn2O4 ou LiFePO4 présentent une capacité spécifique limitée (<160 mAh/g). De nombreux composés sont à l’étude pour améliorer cette performance dont le fluorure de fer (III) en raison de sa capacité théorique de 711 mAh.g-1. Ce travail présentera la synthèse de FeF3 par différentes méthodes de fluoration. Les matériaux obtenus seront comparés en termes de structures et de liaison (DRX, Mössbauer, spectroscopies IR et Raman) mais aussi de texture (isothermes d’adsorption à l’azote à 77K). Les propriétés électrochimiques des matériaux obtenus seront également comparées et testées. Enfin, l’étude du mécanisme électrochimique de cette famille de composés sera menée via une méthode de caractérisation « in operando » : la spectroscopie d’absorption des rayons X (XAS)
The lithium-ion batteries are the current solution for electrochemical energy storage. However, their performances are limited by the cathode materials, such as LiCoO2, LiMn2O4 or LiFePO4 of specific capacity lower than 160 mAh/g. Many materials are good candidates to improve this capacity such as iron trifluoride of theoretical capacity of 711 mAh.g-1. This work will present the synthesis of FeF3 through different fluorination ways. The resulting materials will be characterized owing to their structure by XRD, Mössbauer, Raman and IR spectroscopies and their texture by nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 77K and SEM. After that, the electrochemical properties will be evaluated and compared. Finally, the study of the electrochemical mechanism of this family of compounds will be led with a method of characterization “in operando” : the X-rays absorption spectroscopy (XAS)

Understanding lithium-ion insertion/extraction mechanisms in battery electrode materials is of crucial importance in developing new materials with better cycling performance. In this thesis, these mechanisms are probed for two different potential cathode materials by a combination of electrochemical and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The materials investigated are V₆O₁₃ and cubic LiMn₂O₄ spinel.

Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of lithiated phases in the Li_xV₆O₁₃ system (x=2/3 and 1) exhibit superlattice phenomena and an underlying Li⁺ ion insertion mechanism which involves the stepwise addition of Li⁺ ions into a two-dimensional array of chemically equivalent sites. Each successive stage in the insertion process is accompanied by a rearrangement of the Li⁺ ions together with an electron redistribution associated with the reduction of specific V-atoms in the structure. This results in the formation of electrochemically active sheets in the structure. A similar mechanism occurs in the LiMn₂O₄ delithiation process, whereby lithium is extracted in a layered arrangement, with the Mn atoms forming charge-ordered Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ layers.

Lithium-ion insertion/extraction processes in transition-metal oxides would thus seem to occur through an ordered two-dimensional arrangement of lithium ions extending throughout the structure. The lithium ions and the host structure rearrange cooperatively to form superlattices through lithium and transition-metal ion charge-ordering. A picture begins to emerge of a universal two-dimensional lithium-ion insertion/extraction mechanism analogous to the familiar staging sequence in graphite.

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 27).
Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in portable electronics, and the rapid growth of mobile technology calls for an improvement in battery capabilities. Reducing the particle size of electrode materials in synthesis is an important strategy for improving their rate capability and power density (which is the capacity at high rates). Using biological materials as a template during synthesis allows us to achieve this, improving synthesis methods. Utilizing biological materials makes it possible to synthesize nano-scale particles, and using the M13 virus has shown to be an early solution. The addition of conductive material, such as single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT or CNT), also improves the conductivity of the electrode, further improving the battery's rate capabilities (Lee et al., 2009). In this study, our goal is to improve the conductivity of the LIB battery cathode using M13-carbon nanotube complexes.
by Melanie Chantal Adams.
S.B.

Cette thèse est consacrée à la fabrication ascendante (bottom-up) de matériaux nanostructurés hybrides hiérarchisés à base de nanotubes de carbone alignés verticalement (VACNTs) décorés par des nanoparticules (NPs). En fonction de leur utilisation comme cathode ou anode, des nanoparticules de soufre (S) ou silicium (Si) ont été déposées. En raison de leur structure unique et de leurs propriétés électroniques, les VACNTs agissent comme une matrice de support et un excellent collecteur de courant, améliorant ainsi les voies de transport électroniques et ioniques. La nanostructuration et le contact du S avec un matériau hôte conducteur améliore sa conductivité, tandis que la nanostructuration du Si permet d'accommoder plus facilement les variations de volume pendant les réactions électrochimiques. Dans la première partie de la thèse, nous avons synthétisé des VACNTs par une méthode de dépôt chimique en phase vapeur (HF-CVD) directement sur des fines feuilles commerciales d'aluminium et de cuivre sans aucun prétraitement des substrats. Dans la deuxième partie, nous avons décoré les parois latérales des VACNTs avec différents matériaux d'électrode, dont des nanoparticules de S et de Si. Nous avons également déposé et caractérisé des nanoparticules de nickel (Ni) sur les VACNTs en tant que matériaux alternatifs pour l'électrode positive. Aucun additif conducteur ou aucun liant polymère n'a été ajouté à la composition d'électrode. La décoration des nanotubes de carbone a été effectuée par deux méthodes différentes: méthode humide par électrodéposition et méthode sèche (par dépôt physique en phase vapeur (PVD) ou par CVD). Les structures hybrides obtenues ont été testées électrochimiquement séparément dans une pile bouton contre une contre-électrode de lithium. A notre connaissance, il s'agit de la première étude de l'évaporation du soufre sur les VACNTs et de la structure résultante (appelée ici S@VACNTs). Des essais préliminaires sur les cathodes nanostructurées obtenues (S@VACNTs revêtus d'alumine ou de polyaniline) ont montré qu'il est possible d'atteindre une capacité spécifique proche de la capacité théorique du soufre. La capacité surfacique de S@VACNTs, avec une masse de S de 0.76 mg cm-2, à un régime C/20 atteint une capacité de 1.15 mAh cm-2 au premier cycle. Pour les anodes nanostructurées au silicium (Si@VACNTs), avec une masse de Si de 4.11 mg cm-2, on montre une excellente capacité surfacique de 12.6 mAh cm-2, valeur la plus élevée pour les anodes à base de silicium nanostructurées obtenues jusqu'à présent. Dans la dernière partie de la thèse, les électrodes nanostructurées fabriquées ont été assemblées afin de réaliser la batterie complète (Li2S/Si) et sa performance électrochimique a été testée. Les capacités surfaciques obtenues pour les électrodes nanostructurées de S et de Si ouvrent la voie à la réalisation d'une LIB à haute densité d'énergie, entièrement nanostructurée, et démontrent le grand potentiel du concept proposé à base d'électrodes nanostructurées hybrides hiérarchisées
This thesis is devoted to the bottom-up fabrication of hierarchical hybrid nanostructured materials based on active vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) decorated with nanoparticles (NPs). Owing to their unique structure and electronic properties, VACNTs act as a support matrix and an excellent current collector, and thus enhance the electronic and ionic transport pathways. The nanostructuration and the confinement of sulfur (S) in a conductive host material improve its conductivity, while the nanostructuration of silicon (Si) accommodates better the volume change during the electrochemical reactions. In the first part of the thesis, we have synthesized VACNTs by a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HF-CVD) method directly over aluminum and copper commercial foils without any pretreatment of the substrates. In the second part, we have decorated the sidewalls and the surface of the VACNT carpets with various LIB's active electrode materials, including S and Si NPs. We have also deposited and characterized nickel (Ni) NPs on CNTs as alternative materials for the cathode electrode. No conductive additives or any polymer binder have been added to the electrode composition. The CNTs decoration has been done systematically through two different methods: wet method by electrodeposition and dry method by physical vapor deposition (PVD). The obtained hybrid structures have been electrochemically tested separately in a coin cell against a lithium counter-electrode. Regarding the S evaporationon VACNTs, and the S@VACNTs structure, these topics are investigated for the first time to the best of our knowledge.Preliminary tests on the obtained nanostructured cathodes (S@VACNTs coated with alumina or polyaniline) have shown that it is possible to attain a specific capacity close to S theoretical storage capacity. The surface capacity of S@VACNTs, with 0.76 mg cm-2 of S, at C/20 rate reaches 1.15 mAh cm-2 at the first cycle. For the nanostructured anodes Si@VACNTs, with 4.11 mg cm-2 of Si showed an excellent surface capacity of 12.6 mAh cm-2, the highest value for nanostructured silicon anodes obtained so far. In the last part of the thesis, the fabricated nanostructured electrodes have been assembled in a full battery (Li2S/Si) and its electrochemical performances experimentally tested. The high and well-balanced surface capacities obtained for S and Si nanostructured electrodes pave the way for realization of high energy density, all-nanostructured LIBs and demonstrate the large potentialities of the proposed hierarchical hybrid nanostructures' concept

>Magister Scientiae - MSc
Lithium iron manganese phosphate (LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4), is a promising, low cost and high energy density (700 Wh/kg) cathode material with high theoretical capacity and high operating voltage of 4.1 V vs. Li/Li+, which falls within the electrochemical stability window of conventional electrolyte solutions. However, a key problem prohibiting it from large scale commercialization is its severe capacity fading during cycling. The improvement of its electrochemical cycling stability is greatly attributed to the suppression of Jahn-Teller distortion at the surface of the LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 particles. Nanostructured materials offered advantages of a large surface to volume ratio, efficient electron conducting pathways and facile strain relaxation. The LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 nanoparticles were synthesized via a simple-facile microwave method followed by coating with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) nanoparticles to enhance electrical and thermal conductivity. The pristine LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 and LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs composite were examined using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques along with electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Microscopic results revealed that the LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs composite contains well crystallized particles and regular morphological structures with narrow size distributions. The composite cathode exhibits better reversibility and kinetics than the pristine LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 due to the presence of the conductive additives in the LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs composite. For the composite cathode, D = 2.0 x 10-9 cm2/s while for pristine LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 D = 4.81 x 10-10 cm2/s. The charge capacity and the discharge capacity for LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs composite were 259.9 mAh/g and 177.6 mAh/g, respectively, at 0.01 V/s. The corresponding values for pristine LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 were 115 mAh/g and 44.75 mAh/g, respectively. This was corroborated by EIS measurements. LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs composite showed to have better conductivity which corresponded to faster electron transfer and therefore better electrochemical performance than pristine LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4. The composite cathode material (LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4-MWCNTs) with improved electronic conductivity holds great promise for enhancing electrochemical performances and the suppression of the reductive decomposition of the electrolyte solution on the LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 surface. This study proposes an easy to scale-up and cost-effective technique for producing novel high-performance nanostructured LiFe0.5Mn0.5PO4 nano-powder cathode material.
2023-12-01

Lithium-Rich Layered Oxides (LRLO) are opening new frontiers for high-capacity/high-voltage positive electrodes in Li-ion batteries to meet the challenges of green and safe transportation as well as cheap and sustainable stationary energy storage from renewable sources. LRLO exploit the extra-lithiation provided by the Li1.2TM0.8O2 stoichiometries to disclose specific capacities beyond 200-250 mAhg-1 and working potentials in the 3.4-3.8V vs Li. In my thesis, I demonstrated a novel doping strategy by the substitution of cobalt in the transition metal layer of the lattice with aluminum and lithium, resulting in new optimized layered materials, i.e. Li1.2+xMn0.54Ni0.13Co0.13-x-yAlyO2, with outstanding electrochemical performance in full Li-ion batteries, improved environmental benignity and reduced manufacturing costs compared to the state-of-the-art. Furthermore, the last step deals the application of over-lithiation to demonstrate experimentally a Co-free over-lithiated LRLO material, i.e. Li1.25Mn0.625Ni0.125O2. After that, my research focused on a novel approach to investigate the structural complexity of pristine materials, involving the use of supercells, i.e. unit cells larger than the conventional ones, and FAULTS software, to take into account the staking faults defects. A combination of ex situ techniques has been used as a tool to understand the structural evolution of Li1.28Mn0.54Ni0.13Co0.02Al0.03O2. This part of the research identified that significant changes occurred during electrochemical cycling, showed the irreversible changes in the cell parameters and the presence of a new phase. Finally, innovative non-aqueous electrolytes for Li-ion batteries with superior safety features were investigated. Three ionic liquid, Pyr1,nTFSI with n=4,5,8, have been used as addditive to improve liquid electrolytes. These electrolyte formulations have been analyzed by comparing chemical-physical properties and electrochemical stability.

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(エネルギー科学)
甲第14736号
エネ博第189号
新制||エネ||43(附属図書館)
UT51-2009-D448
京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー基礎科学専攻
(主査)教授 八尾 健, 教授 尾形 幸生, 教授 萩原 理加
学位規則第4条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(人間・環境学)
甲第22548号
人博第951号
新制||人||226(附属図書館)
2019||人博||951(吉田南総合図書館)
京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科相関環境学専攻
(主査)教授 内本 喜晴, 教授 田部 勢津久, 准教授 藤原 直樹
学位規則第4条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(人間・環境学)
甲第22549号
人博第952号
新制||人||226(附属図書館)
2019||人博||952(吉田南総合図書館)
京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科相関環境学専攻
(主査)教授 内本 喜晴, 教授 吉田 寿雄, 准教授 戸﨑 充男
学位規則第4条第1項該当

There are today clear indications that the Li-ion battery of the type currently used worldwide in mobile-phones and lap-tops is also destined to soon become the battery of choice in more energy-demanding concepts such as electric and electric hybrid vehicles (EVs and EHVs). Since the currently used cathode materials (typically of the Li(Ni,Co)O₂-type) are too expensive in large-scale applications, these new batteries will have to exploit some much cheaper transition-metal. Ideally, this should be the very cheapest - iron(Fe) - in combination with a graphite(C)-based anode. In this context, the obvious Fe-based active cathode of choice appears to be LiFePO₄. A second and in some ways even more attractive material - Li₂FeSiO₄ - has emerged during the course of this work.

An effort has here been made to understand the Li extraction/insertion mechanism on electrochemical cycling of Li₂FeSiO₄. A fascinating picture has emerged (following a complex combination of Mössbauer, X-ray diffraction and electrochemical studies) in which the material is seen to cycle between Li₂FeSiO₄ and LiFeSiO₄, but with the structure of the original Li₂FeSiO₄ transforming from a metastable short-range ordered solid-solution into a more stable long-range ordered structure during the first cycle. Density Functional Theory calculations on Li₂FeSiO₄ and the delithiated on LiFeSiO₄ structure provide an interesting insight into the experimental result.

Photoelectron spectroscopy was used to study the surface chemistry of both carbon-treated LiFePO₄ and Li₂FeSiO₄ after electrochemical cycling. The surface-layer on both materials was concluded to be very thin and with incomplete coverage, giving the promise of good long-term cycling.

LiFePO₄ and Li₂FeSiO₄ should both be seen as highly promising candidates as positive-electrode materials for large-scale Li-ion battery applications.

"A ¡°mixed cathodes¡± LIB recycling process was first proposed and developed in the CR3 center at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. This process can efficiently and economically recover all the valuable metal elements in LIB waste. In the end of the recovery process, lithium, nickel, manganese, and cobalt ions will be recovered in the leaching solution. The objective of this work is to utilize the leaching solution to synthesis NixMnyCoz(OH)2 precursors and their corresponding LiNixMnyCozO2 cathode materials. The synthesized cathode materials can be used to build new LIBs, allowing the overall process to be a ¡°closed loop¡±. "

>Magister Scientiae - MSc
Architecturally enhanced electrode materials for lithium ion batteries (LIB) with permeable morphologies have received broad research interests over the past years for their promising properties. However, literature based on modified porous nanoparticles of lithium manganese phosphate (LiMnPO₄) is meagre. The goal of this project is to explore lithium manganese phosphate (LiMnPO₄) nanoparticles and enhance its energy and power density through surface treatment with transition metal nanoparticles. Nanostructured materials offer advantages of a large surface to volume ratio, efficient electron conducting pathways and facile strain relaxation. The material can store lithium ions but have large structure change and volume expansion during charge/discharge processes, which can cause mechanical failure. LiMnPO₄ is a promising, low cost and high energy density (700 Wh/kg) cathode material with high theoretical capacity and high operating voltage of 4.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl which falls within the electrochemical stability window of conventional electrolyte solutions. LiMnPO₄ has safety features due to the presence of a strong P–O covalent bond. The LiMnPO₄ nanoparticles were synthesized via a sol-gel method followed by coating with gold nanoparticles to enhance conductivity. A magnesium oxide (MgO) nanowire was then coated onto the LiMnPO₄/Au, in order to form a support for gold nanoparticles which will then form a thin film on top of LiMnPO₄ nanoparticles crystals. The formed products will be LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite. MgO has good electrical and thermal conductivity with improved corrosion resistance. Thus the electronic and optical properties of MgO nanowires were sufficient for the increase in the lithium ion diffusion. The pristine LiMnPO₄ and LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite were examined using a combination of spectroscopic and microscopic techniques along with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Microscopic results revealed that the LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite contains well crystallized particles and regular morphological structures with narrow size distributions. The composite cathode exhibits better reversibility and kinetics than the pristine LiMnPO₄ due to the presence of the conductive additives in the LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite. This is demonstrated in the values of the diffusion coefficient (D) and the values of charge and discharge capacities determined through cyclic voltammetry. For the composite cathode, D= 2.0 x 10⁻⁹ cm²/s while for pristine LiMnPO₄ D = 4.81 x 10⁻¹⁰ cm2/s. The charge capacity and the discharge capacity for LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite were 259.9 mAh/g and 157.6 mAh/g, respectively, at 10 mV/s. The corresponding values for pristine LiMnPO₄ were 115 mAh/g and 44.75 mAh/g, respectively. A similar trend was observed in the results obtained from EIS measurements. These results indicate that LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au composite has better conductivity and will facilitate faster electron transfer and therefore better electrochemical performance than pristine LiMnPO₄. The composite cathode material (LiMnPO₄/Mg-Au) with improved electronic conductivity holds great promise for enhancing electrochemical performances, discharge capacity, cycle performance and the suppression of the reductive decomposition of the electrolyte solution on the LiMnPO₄ surface. This study proposes an easy to scale-up and cost-effective technique for producing novel high-performance nanostructured LiMnPO₄ nanopowder cathode material.

Die wachsende Weltbevölkerung und die stetigen Entwicklungen in der Industrie benötigen einerseits immer größere Mengen an Grundchemikalien und führen andererseits zu einem ständig steigenden Energiebedarf. Die Dissertation behandelt daher die Themen Zeolithe und Kathodenmaterialien, welche zwei aktuelle Forschungsschwerpunkte der chemischen Industrie darstellen. Der Fokus der Arbeit lag in der Steuerung der Partikelgröße durch die hydrothermale und mikrowellenunterstützte Kristallisation.

In this thesis, two recently discovered polymorphs of LiFeSO4F, adopting a tavorite- and triplite-type structure, were investigated as potential candidates for use as cathode materials in Li-ion batteries. The studies aimed at enriching the fundamental understanding of the synthetic preparations, structural properties, and electrochemical functionality of these materials. By in situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD), the formation mechanism of the tavorite-type LiFeSO4F was followed starting from two different sets of precursors, FeSO4∙H2O + LiF, and Li2SO4 + FeF2. The results indicated that the formation of LiFeSO4F is possible only through the structurally related FeSO4∙H2O, in line with the generally recognized topotactic reaction mechanism. Moreover, an in-house solvothermal preparation of this polymorph was optimized with the combined use of XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopy (MS) to render phase pure and well-ordered samples. Additionally, the triplite-type LiFeSO4F was prepared using a facile high-energy ball milling procedure. The electrochemical performance of as-prepared tavorite LiFeSO4F was found to be severely restricted due to residual traces of the reaction medium (tetraethylene glycol (TEG)) on the surface of the synthesized particles. A significantly enhanced performance could be achieved by removing the TEG residues by thorough washing, and a subsequent application of an electronically conducting surface coating of p-doped PEDOT. The conducting polymer layer assisted the formation of a percolating network for efficient electron transport throughout the electrode, resulting in optimal redox behavior with low polarization and high capacity. In the preparation of cast electrodes suitable for use in commercial cells, reducing the electrode porosity was found to be a key parameter to obtain high-quality electrochemical performance. The triplite-type LiFeSO4F showed similar improvements upon PEDOT coating as the tavorite-type polymorph, but with lower capacity and less stable long-term cycling due to intrinsically sluggish kinetics and unfavorable particle morphology. Finally, the Li+-insertion/extraction process in tavorite LiFeSO4F was investigated. By thorough ex situ characterization of chemically and electrochemically prepared LixFeSO4F compositions (0≤x≤1), the formation of an intermediate phase, Li1/2FeSO4F, was identified for the first time. These findings helped redefine the (de)lithiation mechanism which occurs through two subsequent biphasic reactions, in contrast to a previously established single biphasic process.

著作権、出典、利用制限の表示を出版社より求められている。
Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(エネルギー科学)
甲第19824号
エネ博第330号
新制||エネ||66(附属図書館)
32860
京都大学大学院エネルギー科学研究科エネルギー基礎科学専攻
(主査)准教授 高井 茂臣, 教授 萩原 理加, 教授 佐川 尚
学位規則第4条第1項該当

Kyoto University (京都大学)
0048
新制・課程博士
博士(人間・環境学)
甲第21876号
人博第905号
新制||人||216(附属図書館)
2018||人博||905(吉田南総合図書館)
京都大学大学院人間・環境学研究科相関環境学専攻
(主査)教授 内本 喜晴, 教授 田部 勢津久, 教授 吉田 鉄平
学位規則第4条第1項該当

>Magister Scientiae - MSc
In the wide search for advanced materials for next generation lithium-ion batteries, lithium manganese orthosilicate, Li₂MnSiO₄ is increasingly gaining attention as a potential cathode material by virtue of its ability to facilitate the extraction of two lithium ions per formula unit, resulting in a two-electron redox process involving Mn²⁺/Mn³⁺ and Mn³⁺/Mn⁴⁺ redox couples. This property confers on it, a higher theoretical specific capacity of 333 mAhg⁻¹ which is superior to the conventional layered LiCoO₂ at 274 mAhg⁻¹ and the commercially available olivine LiFePO₄ at 170 mAhg⁻¹. Its iron analogue, Li₂FeSiO₄ has only 166 mAhg⁻¹ capacity as the Fe⁴⁺ oxidation state is difficult to access. However, the capacity of Li₂MnSiO₄ is not fully exploited in practical galvanostatic charge-discharge tests due to the instability of the delithiated material which causes excessive polarization during cycling and its low intrinsic electronic conductivity. By reducing the particle size, the electrochemical performance of this material can be enhanced since it increases the surface contact between the electrode and electrolyte and further reduces the diffusion pathway of lithium ions. In this study, a versatile hydrothermal synthetic pathway was employed to produce nanoparticles of Li₂MnSiO₄, by carefully tuning the reaction temperature and the concentration of the metal precursors. The nanostructured cathode material was further coated with a thin film of aluminium oxide in order to modify its structural and electronic properties. The synthesized materials were characterized by microscopic (HRSEM and HRTEM), spectroscopic (FTIR, XRD, SS-NMR, XPS) and electrochemical techniques (CV, SWV and EIS). Microscopic techniques revealed spherical morphologies with particle sizes in the range of 21-90 nm. Elemental distribution maps obtained from HRSEM for the novel cathode material showed an even distribution of elements which will facilitate the removal/insertion of Li-ions and electrons out/into the cathode material. Spectroscopic results (FTIR) revealed the vibration of the Si-Mn-O linkage, ascertaining the complete insertion of Mn ions into the SiO₄⁴⁻ tetrahedra. XRD and ⁷Li MAS NMR studies confirmed a Pmn21 orthorhombic crystal pattern for the pristine Li₂MnSiO₄ and novel Li₂MnSiO₄/Al₂O₃ which is reported to provide the simplest migratory pathway for Li-ions due to the high symmetrical equivalence of all Li sites in the unit cell, thus leading to high electrochemical reversibility and an enhancement in the overall performance of the cathode materials. The divalent state of manganese present in Li₂Mn²⁺SiO₄ was confirmed by XPS surface analysis. Scan rate studies performed on the novel cathode material showed a quasi-reversible electron transfer process. The novel cathode material demonstrated superior electrochemical performance over the pristine material. Charge/discharge capacity values calculated from the cyclic voltammograms of the novel and pristine cathode materials showed a higher charge and discharge capacity of 209 mAh/g and 107 mAh/g for the novel cathode material compared to 159 mAh/g and 68 mAh/g for the pristine material. The diffusion coefficient was one order of magnitude higher for the novel cathode material (3.06 x10⁻⁶ cm2s⁻¹) than that of the pristine material (6.79 x 10⁻⁷ cm2s⁻¹), with a charge transfer resistance of 1389 Ω and time constant (τ) of 1414.4 s rad⁻¹ for the novel cathode material compared to 1549 Ω and 1584.4 s rad-1 for the pristine material. The higher electrochemical performance of the novel Li₂MnSiO₄/All₂O₃ cathode material over the pristine Li₂MnSiO₄ material can be attributed to the alumina nanoparticle surface coating which considerably reduced the structural instability intrinsic to the pristine Li₂MnSiO₄ cathode material and improved the charge transfer kinetics.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering, 2011.
This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-129).
The ability to computationally predict the properties of new materials, even prior to their synthesis, has been made possible due to the current accuracy of modern ab initio techniques. In some cases, high-throughput computations can be used to create large data sets of potential compounds and their computed properties. However, regardless of the field of application, such a computational high-throughput approach faces a major problem: to be relevant, the properties need to be computed on compounds (i.e., stoichiometries and crystal structures) that will be stable enough to be synthesized. In this thesis, we address this compound prediction problem through a combination of data mining and high-throughput Density Functional Theory. We first describe a method based on correlations between crystal structure prototypes that can be used with a limited computational budget to search for new ternary oxides. In addition, for the treatment of sparser data regions such as quaternaries, a new algorithm based on the data mining of ionic substitutions is proposed and analyzed. The second part of this thesis demonstrates the application of this highthroughput ab initio computing technique to the lithium-ion battery field. Here, we describe a large-scale computational search for novel cathode materials with specific battery properties, which enables experimentalists to focus on only the most promising chemistries. Finally, to illustrate the potential of new compound computational discovery using this approach, a novel chemical class of cathode materials, the carbonophosphates, is presented along with synthesis and electrochemical results.
by Geoffroy Hautier.
Ph.D.

The nano-structured Li[Li0.2Co0.4Mn0.4]O2 cathode material is synthesized by a co-precipitation method. X-ray diffraction shows that the synthesized material has a hexagonal α-NaFeO2 type structure with a space group R-3m. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy images show the homogeneous distribution with 100-200 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results indicate that the oxi-dation states of Co and Mn in Li[Li0.2Co0.4Mn0.4]O2 are present in trivalence and tetravalence, respectively. The charge-discharge curves and cycling performance are analyzed in detail. The initial charge and dis-charge capacities are respectively 236.5 mAh g-1 and 140.3 mAh g-1 at the current density of 100 mA g-1 in the voltage range of 2.0-4.6 V. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/35203

Lithium-rich layered transition metal oxide cathode, represented as the chemical formula of xLi₂MnO₃ · (1 - x)LiMO₂(M = Mn, Ni, Co) , retains immense interest as one of the most promising candidates for energy storage system ranging from mobile devices to electric vehicle applications (EV/HEV/PHEV). This battery type benefits from superior theoretical capacity (>250 mAhg^-1), high chemical potential (>4.6 V vs Li⁰), good thermal stability, high discharge capacity and lower cost compared with conventional cathodes (e.g. LiCoO₂, Li(Ni_1/3Mn_1/3Co_1/3)O₂ cathodes). However, there remain major barriers which still need to be improved in order to achieve a successful commercialization for large-scale devices or electric vehicle applications. The irreversible capacity loss of 40-100 mAhg^-1 during the initial electrochemical cycle and the battery fading phenomena (capacity fading/voltage decay) on further cycles are the major problems which have emerged. The Li⁺ ion extraction accompanied by oxygen release from the active material in the form of oxide known as lithia (Li₂O) along with the transition metal migration has been suggested as the dominant processes underlying the capacity fading mechanism. Those processes, in turn, cause a phase transition from a layered structure into a spinel within the electrode material. The interplay of the local atomic environments between Li₂MnO₃ (monoclinic, C2/m) and LiMO₂ (trigonal/hexagonal, R3m) holds the key to developing better cathodes with enhanced stability. In the present thesis, an in operando XAS study using a specially-designed cell of the graphene- coated Li(Li_0.2Mn_0.54Ni_0.13Co_0.13)O₂ cathode is employed to examine the chemical, electronic, and structural states of the transition metals (Mn, Co, and Ni) during electrochemical cycle(s). Precise oxidation states for the transition metals is evaluated by the combined analyses from the XANES and SQUID measurements. The K-edge XANES spectral shift is quantified to investigate the contribution to the charge compensation mechanism by the oxidation change. Absorption features in K-edge XANES are identified. These features describe the electronic state of the individual atoms in the cathode composite, as well as the local distortion from the octahedral structure of MO₆. The Fourier transform of EXAFS offers a satisfactory description of the local structure changes with the connection to the cation arrangement. The description is generally involved with the peak amplitude, position, shape changes (trend), and coordination numbers in the real space. Hence, similarities or discrepancies in the local atomic environments could be compared at different state of charge. Major structural parameters are deduced from the EXAFS fitting process. These parameters can be used to distinguish different atomic environments upon voltage bias levels or investigate the appearance of the Jahn-Teller effect. A new approach to understand the atomic environment upon charge-discharge is demonstrated, namely, a Continuous Cauchy Wavelet Transform (CCWT) which enables the visualization of the EXAFS spectra in three dimensions by decomposing the k-space and R-space (uncorrected for phase shift) signals. The wavelet transform analysis provides possible evidence of the precursor that leads to the spinel phase transition in this battery system.

Le réchauffement climatique, provoqué par l’augmentation de la concentration de CO2 dans l’atmosphère, est un problème majeur du 21ème siècle. C’est pourquoi, il est d’une importance capitale de valoriser l’utilisation des énergies renouvelables et des technologies de stockage d’énergie telles que les batteries Li-ion. Suivant ce but, les chercheurs ont mis au point un nouveau matériau d’électrode, le Li-rich NMC, dont l’utilisation permet d’augmenter significativement la capacité des batteries Li-ion grâce à la participation des oxygènes de l’oxyde dans la réaction électrochimique. Cependant, ce nouveau phénomène va de pair avec une hystérésis de potentiel qui empêche la commercialisation du Li-rich NMC. Afin de proposer une solution à l’hystérésis de potentiel tout en continuant à augmenter la capacité des électrodes, des études fondamentales sont nécessaires, notamment: la redox anionique a-t-elle une limite de capacité ? et, quelle est l’origine de l’hystérésis ? Pour répondre à la première question, nous avons conçu des matériaux, de composition chimique A3MO4 (A étant du Li ou Na, et M un mix de Ru, Sb, Nb, Ta ou Ir), ayant une redox anionique exacerbée. Après avoir caractérisé la structure de ces nouveaux matériaux, nous avons étudié leur mécanisme électrochimique et montré que la redox anionique est limitée par la décomposition de l’électrode via formation de O2 ou dissolution. Dans un second temps, par l’étude de deux nouveaux matériaux, Li1.3Ni0.27Ta0.43O2 et Li1.3Mn0.4Ta0.3O2 ayant des hystérésis de potentiel très différentes, nous avons montré le lien entre la redox anionique, la taille de la bande interdite, et l’hystérésis de potentiel
Global warming, due to the increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, is a major issue of the 21th century, hence the need to move towards the use of renewable energies and the development of electrical storage devices, such as Li-ion batteries. Along that line, a new electrode material called Li-rich NMCs have been developed, having higher capacity, 290 mAh/g, than commercial materials, like LiCoO2 (150 mAh/g), thanks to participation of oxygen anions into the redox reaction. This process, called anionic redox, unfortunately comes with voltage hysteresis preventing the commercialization of Li-rich NMC. To alleviate this issue while increasing the capacity, fundamental understanding on anionic redox is needed, specifically concerning two points: is anionic redox limited in terms of capacity? And what is the origin of the voltage hysteresis? In a first part, with the aim to assess the limit of anionic redox capacity, we designed new compounds, having enhanced oxygen oxidation behavior, belonging to the A3MO4 family (A being Li or Na and with M a mix of Ru, Ir, Nb, Sb or Ta). We performed their synthesis, deeply characterized their structure, and, by studying their charge compensation mechanism, we showed that anionic redox is always limited by either O2 release or metal dissolution. In a second part, we designed two new materials, Li1.3Ni0.27Ta0.43O2 and Li1.3Mn0.4Ta0.3O2, having different voltage hysteresis, in order to identify the origin of this phenomenon. Coupling spectroscopic techniques with theoretical calculations, we suggest that the electronic structure, namely the size of the charge transfer band gap, plays a decisive role in voltage hysteresis

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD
Lithium ion cathode systems based on composites of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO₄), iron-cobalt-derivatised carbon nanotubes (FeCo-CNT) and polyaniline (PA) nanomaterials were developed. The FeCo-functionalised CNTs were obtained through in-situ reductive precipitation of iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate (FeSO₄.7H₂O) and cobalt (II) chloride hexahydrate (CoCl₂.6H₂O) within a CNT suspension via sodium borohydrate (NaBH₄) reduction protocol. Results from high Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed the successful attachment FeCo nanoclusters at the ends and walls of the CNTs. The nanoclusters provided viable routes for the facile transfer of electrons during lithium ion deinsertion/insertion in the 3-D nanonetwork formed between the CNTs and adjacent LiFePO₄ particles.

This thesis has investigated a family of olivine phosphate battery materials using various spectroscopic techniques. The research has demonstrated that the surfaces of these materials display nanoscale Lithium depletion. The differentiated surface layers are responsible for many of the measured properties, which have so far been mostly attributed to the bulk of the compounds. In the case of LiFePO4, the surface layers also concentrate the dopants, which have been reported as beneficial for the electrochemical performance. The identified surface differentiation seems present in other families of battery materials. Its identification provides new insights on particle surface design for performance optimization.

L’amélioration des systèmes de stockage d’énergie représente un défi majeur de la transition vers les véhicules électriques et les énergies renouvelables. Les accumulateurs Li-ion, qui ont déjà conquis le marché de l’électronique portatif, constitueront la technologie dominante pour réaliser cet objectif, et sont donc l’objet d’intense recherches afin d’améliorer leurs performances, en particulier en termes de capacité. Parmi les stratégies les plus prometteuse pour augmenter la capacité des matériaux de cathodes, beaucoup d’espoir est placé dans la préparation de matériaux riches en lithium, qui combinent l’activité électrochimique des cations (métaux de transitions) et des anions (oxygène). Cependant, l’activation des propriétés redox de l’oxygène est accompagnée de plusieurs problèmes qui freinent le développement industriel de ces matériaux. Il est donc nécessaire d’obtenir de solides connaissances fondamentales sur le phénomène de redox anionique pour résoudre ces problèmes. En utilisant des matériaux modèles à base d’iridium, ce travail explore comment l’activité de l’oxygène est influencé par son environnement local. Les propriétés électrochimiques des composés Na2IrO3 et Na(Li1/3Ir2/3)O2 sont étudiés afin de comprendre l’impact de la nature de l’ion alcalin. L’influence du ratio Li/M dans les oxydes de structure NaCl est étudié à travers la synthèse d’un nouveau composé de formule Li3IrO4, qui présente la plus haute capacité réversible parmi les matériaux d’insertion utilisés comme cathode. Cette famille de matériau est finalement étendue à des phases contenant des protons par une simple méthode d’échange cationique, et les propriétés électrochimiques d’un nouveau composé H3+xIrO4 sont étudiées, dévoilant de très bonnes propriétés de stockage de puissance en milieu aqueux
Improving energy storage stands as a key challenge to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy sources in the next years. Li-ion batteries, which have already conquered the portable electronic market, will be the leading technology to achieve this goal and are therefore the focus of intense research activities to improve their performances, especially in terms of capacity. Among the most promising strategies to obtain high capacity cathode materials, the preparation of Li-rich materials combining the redox activity of cations (transition metals) and anions (oxygen) attracts considerable interest. However, activation of anionic redox in these high capacity materials comes with several issues that need to be solved prior their implementation in the energy storage market. Deep fundamental understanding of anionic redox is therefore required to go forward. Using model systems based on iridium, this work explores how the oxygen local environment can play a role on the activation of anionic redox. The electrochemical properties of Na2IrO3 and Na(Li1/3Ir2/3)O2 phases are studied to understand the impact of the alkali nature. The influence of the Li/M ratio in rocksalt oxides is investigated with the synthesis of a new material Li3IrO4, which presents the highest reversible capacity among intercalation cathode materials. The rich electrochemical properties of this family of iridate materials are finally extended by preparing proton-based materials through a simple ion-exchange reaction and the electrochemical properties of a new H3+xIrO4 material are presented, with high rate capability performances

Les besoins énergétiques de la population mondiale ne cessent de croître, cette croissance est beaucoup plus attribuée à la venue de nouveaux consommateurs des pays émergents. Les réserves de gisement de pétrole fossile, principale source d’énergie de notre civilisation ne suivant pas la demande, la recherche de nouvelles sources d’énergie ou compléments énergétiques de ceux classiques demeure un challenge important pour l’avenir de notre société. Les batteries au lithium demeurent une réponse dite énergie renouvelable pour la lutte que se livrent les pays du globe pour limiter l’échéance de la fin des énergies nécessaires à la survie de notre système économique. Cette batterie offre des performances énergétiques plus grandes que celle alcaline par exemple. Ce travail s’inscrit dans la lignée de l’amélioration continue de la technologie des batteries lithium- ion. Cette amélioration passe par l’optimisation des différentes composantes des piles au lithium comme les électrodes (anode et cathode) et les électrolytes (solvants et ion principal à base de lithium). Ainsi, ce travail comporte trois parties. Dans un premier temps, nous avons investigué de nouveaux solvants dits liquides ioniques à base de phosphonium, ces solvants étant tous des précurseurs respectifs de tri-n-buthylphosphine et tri-n-éthylphosphine (TBPhexTFSI, TBPmetTFSI, TBPhoxTFSI, TBPmetOetTFSI, TEPhexTFSI et TEPhoxTFSI, voir la liste des abréviations). Le choix de ces liquides ioniques à base de phosphonium a été fait dans l’optique de la recherche de ceux ayant les meilleures propriétés chimico-physiques et électrochimiques. De ce fait, les mesures de ces propriétés physico-chimiques comme leur conductivité, viscosité, stabilité thermique ont été effectuées. La supériorité des liquides à base de phosphonium ayant des cations à chaîne oxygénée sur ceux non oxygénées a été démontrée. La conductivité du TBPhoxTFSI respectivement supérieure à celle du TBPhexTFSI et la viscosité de TBPhoxTFSI est inférieure à celle du TBPhexTFSI). Cette étude a aussi démontré l’importance d’avoir des liquides ioniques de phosphonium à cation asymétrique de petite dimension pour bénéficier des meilleures propriétés chimico-physiques, notamment les conductivités des TEPhexTFSI et TEPhoxTFSI étant meilleures que celle du TBPhexTFSI et TBPhoxTFSI. Les études électrochimiques, notamment la voltampérométrie cyclique à balayage, ont permis d’étudier les fenêtres de potentiel électrochimique de certains de ces liquides ioniques. Il a été démontré que les liquides ioniques ayant un cation à chaîne carbonylée asymétrique courte et non oxygénée ont des fenêtres de potentiel électrochimique plus large (respectivement 5 et 5,5V pour le TBPmetTFSI et TEPhexTFSI). Notre étude s’est basée seulement sur deux liquides ioniques ayant pour précurseur la tri-n-buthylphosphine : le TBPmetTFSI et le TBPhoxTFSI. Le choix de ces deux liquides ioniques de phosphonium découle aussi des études effectuées sur leurs propriétés chimico-physiques intéressantes. Dans l’amélioration des composantes des batteries lithium-ion, la recherche des meilleures électrodes demeure aussi un enjeu stratégique important dans cette technologie. Les cathodes à plus grande capacité énergétique sont dans cette logique. Les cathodes des piles rechargeables au lithium sont composées de matériaux du type oxydes mixtes des métaux de transition. Un des facteurs importants du choix de ces matériaux est la diffusion rapide du lithium dans leur structure interne c’est-à-dire la vitesse des réactions d’intercalations et de désintercalations des ions de lithium pendant le fonctionnement de ces types de piles. Les matériaux dits à structure cristalline olivine type LiFePO[indice inférieur 4] ont eu une grande percée il y a environ 10 ans. De nos jours ils sont encore présents, mais de façon améliorée par l’ajout des additifs de carbone généralement dans un pourcentage de 7 à 10% en poids et prennent le nom de LiFePO[indice inférieur 4]/C. Nous avons ainsi réussi à synthétiser par approche sol-gel le LiFePO[indice inférieur 4]/C ; ce matériau a ensuite été caractérisé par diffraction à rayon-X, par microscope électronique à balayage (MEB) et comparé à ce matériau de LiFePO[indice inférieur 4] commercial de la compagnie MTI Corporation. Deux conditions expérimentales ont été utilisées pour les caractérisations électrochimiques de ces cathodes de LiFePO[indice inférieur 4] commercial et LiFePO[indice inférieur 4]/C, soit dans les électrolytes classiques 1M LiPF[indice inférieur 6]–EC-DMC (3/7 vol) et dans les électrolytes mixtes 1M LiPF[indice inférieur 6]–EC-DMC (3/7 vol.) + x TBPmetTFSI ou TBPhoxTFSI. Les voltampérogrammes cycliques obtenus dans ces conditions classiques et mixtes ont démontré que les liquides ioniques TBPmetTFSI et TBPhoxTFSI pouvaient être utilisés comme additifs aux solvants classiques jusqu’à des concentrations de 50% en volume de ceux classiques comme EC-DMC (3/7 vol.) tout en favorisant les processus d’intercalation et dedésintercalation du lithium durant le cycle de fonctionnement des batteries lithium-ion. La quasi-réversibilité des pics redox dans ces proportions des liquides ioniques est un indice de bon fonctionnement des batteries lithium-ion avec des électrolytes mixtes composés de solvants classiques et de liquides ioniques à base de phosphonium.

再生可能エネルギーの大量導入に向けて、電力需給の安定化を目的として蓄電池を用いる電力貯蔵技術に注目が集まっている。現状のリチウムイオン電池(LIB)がベースの先進LIBは250Wh/kgの高エネルギー密度を有し、自動車のみならず電力貯蔵用途としても普及が期待されている。本研究では先進LIB正極材料として期待されるリチウム過剰系正極と高ニッケル三元系正極について容量低下などの劣化要因を明確にして、それら課題に対して正極粒子への酸化物修飾による解決を検討した。
The development of energy storage technologies using batteries has attracted much attention to introduce the renewable energy. If we can achieve 250 Wh kg-1 with the advanced LIBs based on the principle of LIB, we can lower the cost of the total energy storage systems while ensuring the safety, and hence the advanced LIBs will accelerate the world-wide spread of large-scale power storage systems. In this thesis, the author focused surface modification of lithium-rich layered ternary transition metal oxide and high-nickel layered ternary transition metal oxide cathode particles with oxides as mitigation methods for capacity fading.
博士(工学)
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
同志社大学
Doshisha University

Lithium ion batteries have been regarded as one of the most promising and intriguing energy storage devices in modern society since 1990s. A lithium ion battery contains three main components, cathode, anode, and electrolyte, and the performance of battery depends on each component and the compatibility between them. Electrolyte acts as a lithium ions conduction medium and two electrodes contribute mainly to the electrochemical performance. Generally, cathode is the limiting factor in terms of capacity and cell potential, which attracts significant research interests in this field.Different from conventional slurry thick film cathodes with additional electrochemically inactive additives, binder-free thin film cathode has become a promising candidate for advanced high-performance lithium ion batteries towards applications such as all-solid-state battery, portable electronics, and microelectronics. However, these electrodes generally require modifications to improve the performance due to intrinsically slow kinetics of cathode materials.

In this thesis work, pulsed laser deposition has been applied to design thin film cathode electrodes with advanced nanostructures and improved electrochemical performance. Both single-phase nanostructure designs and multi-phase nanocomposite designs are explored. In terms of materials, the thesis focuses on manganese based layered oxides because of their high electrochemical performance. In Chapter 3 of the nanocomposite cathode work, well dispersed Au nanoparticles were introduced into highly textured LiNi_0.5Mn_0.3Co_0.2O₂ (NMC532) matrix to act as localized current collectors and decrease the charge transfer resistance. To further develop this design, in Chapter 4, tilted Au pillars were incorporated into Li₂MnO₃ with more effective conductive Au distribution using simple one-step oblique angle pulsed laser deposition. In Chapter 5, the same methodology was also applied to grow 3D Li₂MnO₃ with tilted and isolated columnar morphology, which largely increase the lithium ion intercalation and the resulted rate capability. Finally, in Chapter 6, direct cathode integration of NMC532 was attempted on glass substrates for potential industrial applications.

Lithium-ion batteries are the most promising rechargeable battery system for both vehicle applications and stationary storage of electricity produced from renewable sources such as solar and wind energies. However, the current lithium ion technology does not fully meet the requirements of these applications in terms of energy and power density. One approach to realizing a combination of high energy and power density is to use a composite cathode that consists of the high-capacity lithium-rich layered oxide Li[Li,Mn,Ni,Co]O2 and the high-voltage spinel oxide LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4. This dissertation explores the unique structural characteristics and their effect on the electrochemical performance of the layered-spinel composite oxide cathodes along with individual layered and spinel oxides over a wide voltage range (5.0 – 2.0 V). Initially, the effect of cation ordering on the electrochemical and structural characteristics of LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 during cycling between 5.0 and 2.0 V were investigated by an analysis of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrochemical data. Structural studies revealed that the cation ordering affects the size of the empty-octahedral sites in the spinel lattice. The differences in the size of the empty-octahedral sites affect the discharge profile below 3 V due to the variation in lattice distortion during lithium ion insertion into 16c octahedral sites. With the doped LiMn1.5Ni0.5-xMxO4 (M = Cr, Fe, Co, and Ga) spinels, different dopant ions have different effects on the degree of cation ordering due to the differences in ionic radii and surface-segregation characteristics. The compositional and wt.% variations of the layered and spinel phases from the nominal values in the layered-spinel composites were obtained by employing a joint XRD and neutron diffraction (ND) Rietveld refinement method. With the obtained composition and ex-situ XRD data, the mechanism for the increase in capacity and the facile phase transformation of the layered phase in the composite cathodes to a 3 V spinel-like phase during cycling was proposed. Investigations focused on synthesis temperature revealed that the electrochemical characteristics of the composites are highly affected by the synthesis temperature due to the change in the surface area of the sample and cation ordering of the spinel phase. In addition, the electrochemical performance of the lithium-rich layered oxide Li[Li,Mn,Ni,Co]O2 could be improved by blending it with a lithium-free insertion host VO2(B) and by controlling the amount of lithium ions extracted from the layered lattice during the first charge process.
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Lithium ion batteries, due to their relatively high energy density, are now widely used as the power source for portable electronics. Commercial lithium ion cells currently employ layered LiCoO₂ as a cathode but only 50% of its theoretical capacity can be utilized. The factors that cause the limitation are not fully established in the literature. With this perspective, prompt gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA) has been employed to determine the hydrogen content in various oxide cathodes that have undergone chemical extraction of lithium (delithiation). The PGAA data is complemented by data obtained from atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), redox titration, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and mass spectroscopy to better understand the capacity limitations and failure mechanisms of lithium ion battery cathodes. As part of this work, the PGAA facility has been redesigned and reconstructed. The neutron and gamma-ray backgrounds have been reduced by more than an order of magnitude. Detection limits for elements have also been improved. Special attention was given to the experimental setup including potential sources of error and system calibration for the detection of hydrogen. Spectral interference with hydrogen arising from cobalt was identified and corrected for. Limits of detection as a function of cobalt mass present in a given sample are also discussed. The data indicates that while delithiated layered Li[subscript 1-x]CoO₂, Li[subscript 1-x]Ni[subscript 1/3]Mn[subscript 1/3]Co[subscript 1/3]O₂, and Li[subscript 1-x]Ni[subscript 0.5]Mn[subscript 0.5]O₂ take significant amounts of hydrogen into the lattice during deep extraction, orthorhombic Li[subscript 1-x]MnO₂, spinel Li[subscript 1-x]Mn₂O₄, and olivine Li[subscript 1-x]FePO₄ do not. Layered LiCoO₂, LiNi[subscript 0.5]Mn[subscript 0.5]O₂, and LiNi[subscript 1/3]Mn[subscript 1/3]Co[subscript 1/3]O₂ have been further analyzed to assess their relative chemical instabilities while undergoing stepped chemical delithiation. Each system takes increasing amounts of protons at lower lithium contents. The differences are attributed to the relative chemical instabilities of the various cathodes that could be related to the position of the transition metal band and the top of the O²-:2p band. Chemically delithiated layered Li[Li[subscript 0.17]Mn[subscript 0.33]Co[subscript0.5-y]Ni[subscript y]]O₂ cathodes have also been characterized. The first charge and discharge capacities decrease with increasing nickel content. The decrease in the capacity with increasing nickel content is due to a decrease in the lithium content present in the transition metal layer and a consequent decrease in the amount of oxygen irreversibly lost during the first charge.
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Transition metals (TMs) are ‘elements whose atoms have partially filled d-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d-shell’. In TMs, the d-shell overlaps with next higher s-shell. Most of the TMs exhibit more than one (multiple) oxidation states. Some TMs, such as silver and gold, occur naturally in their metallic state but, most of the TM minerals are generally oxides. Most of the minerals on the planet earth are metal oxides, because of large free energies of formation for the oxides. The thermodynamic stability of the oxides is determined from the Ellingham diagram. Ellingham diagram shows the temperature dependence of the stability (free energy) for binaries such as metal oxides. Ellingham diagram also shows the ease of reducibility of metal oxides. TM oxides of general formulas MO, M2O3, MO2, M2O5, MO3 are known to exist, many of them being the ultimate products of oxidation in air in their highest oxidation states. In addition, TM oxides also exist in lower oxidation states which are prepared under controlled conditions. The nature of bonding in these oxides varies from mainly ionic (e.g. NiO, CoO) to mainly covalent (e.g. OsO4). Simple binary oxides of the compositions, MO, generally possess the rock salt structure (e.g. NiO), while the dioxides, MO2, possess the rutile structure (e.g. TiO2); many sesquioxides, M2O3, possess the corundum structure (e.g. Cr2O3). TMs form important ternary oxides like perovskites (e.g. CaTiO3), spinels (e.g. MgFe2O4) and so on. In TM oxides, the valence (outer) d-shell could be empty, d0 (e. g. TiO2), partially filled, dn (1≤ n≤ 9) (e.g. TiO, VO, NiO etc.) or completely filled, d10 (e.g. ZnO, CdO, Cu2O etc.). The outer d electrons in TM oxides could be localized or delocalized. Localized outer d electrons give insulators/semiconductors, while delocalized/itinerant d electrons make the TM oxide ‘metallic’ (e.g. ReO3, RuO2). Partially filled dn states are normally expected to give rise to itinerant (metallic) electron behaviour. But most of TM oxides with partially filled d shell are insulators because of special electronic energy (correlation energy) involved in d electron transfer to adjacent sites. Such insulating TM oxides are known as Mott insulators (e. g. NiO, CoO etc.). Certain TM oxides are known to exhibit both localized (insulating) and itinerant (metallic) behaviour as a function of temperature or pressure. For example, VO2 shows a insulator–metal transition at ~340K. Similar transitions are also known for V2O3, metal-rich EuO and so on. The chemical composition and bonding of TM oxides, which determine the crystal and electronic structures, give rise to functional properties. Table 1 gives representative examples. Properties like ionic conductivity and diffusion are governed by both the crystal structure and the defect structure (point defects), whereas properties such as magnetism and electron transport mainly arise from the electronic structures of the materials. Accordingly, TM oxides provide a platform for exploring functional materials properties. Among the various functional materials properties exhibited by transition metal oxides, the present thesis is devoted to investigations of lithium ion battery cathodes, inorganic pigments and magnetic perovskites. Over the years, most of the lithium containing first row transition metal oxides of rock salt derived structure have been investigated for possible application as cathode materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs). First major breakthrough in LIBs research was achieved by electrochemically deinserting and inserting lithium in LiCoO2. A new series of cathode materials for LIBs were prepared by incorporating excess lithium into the transition metal containing layered lithium oxides through solid solution formation between Li2MnO3–LiMO2 (M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), known as lithium-rich layered oxides (LLOs). LLOs exhibit improved electrochemical performance as compared to the corresponding end members and hence received significant attention as a potential next generation cathode materials for LIBs in recent times. LiCoO2 (R-3m) crystallizes in the layered α-NaFeO2 structure with the oxygens in a ccp arrangement. Li+ and Co3+ ions almost perfectly order in the octahedral sites (3a and 3b) to give alternating (111) planes of LiO6 and CoO6 octahedra. Table 1. Materials properties exhibited by representative TM oxides. Property Example(s) Ferroelectricity BaTiO3, PbTiO3, Bi4Ti3O12 Nonlinear Optical Response LiNbO3 Multiferroic response BiFeO3, TbMnO3 Microwave dielectric properties Ba3ZnTa2O9 Relaxor Dielectric Properties Pb3MgNb2O9, Colossal Magnetoresistance Tl2Mn2O7 Metallic ‘Ferroelectricity’ Cd2Re2O7 Superconductivity AOs2O6(A = K, Rb, Cs) Redox deinsertion/insertion of LiCoO2 lithium Photocatalysis/water splitting TiO2 Pigment Ca(1-x)LaxTaO(2-x)N1+x (yellow-red), YIn1-xMnxO3 (blue) Metallic Ferromagnetism CrO2 Antiferromagnetism NiO, LaFeO3 Zero thermal expansion ZrW2O8 The reversible capacity of LiCoO2 in common LIBs is relatively low at around 140 mA h g-1 (half of theoretical capacity), corresponding to: LiCo3+O2 → Li0.5Co3+0.5Co4+0.5O2 + 0.5Li+ + 0.5e– . Substitution of one or more transition metal ions in LiCOO2 has been explored to improve the electrochemical performance. The structure of LLOs is described as a solid solution or nano composite of Li2MnO3 (C2/m) and LiMO2 (R-3m). The electrochemical deinsertion/insertion behaviour of LLOs is complex and also not yet understood completely. The present thesis consists of four parts. After a brief introduction (Part 1), Part 2 is devoted to materials for Li-ion battery cathode, consisting of three Chapters 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3. In Chapter 2.1, we describe the synthesis, crystal structure, magnetic and electrochemical characterization of new LiCoO2 type rock salt oxides of formula, Li3M2RuO6 (M = Co, Ni). The M =Co oxide adopts the LiCoO2 (R-3m) structure, whereas the M = Ni oxide also adopts a similar layered structure related to Li2TiO3. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that in Li3Co2RuO6, the oxidation states of transition metal ions are Co3+, Co2+ and Ru4+, whereas in Li3Ni2RuO6, the oxidation states are Ni2+ and Ru5+. Li3Co2RuO6 orders antiferromagnetically at ~10K. On the other hand, Li3Ni2RuO6 presents a ferrimagnetic behaviour with a Curie temperature of ~100K. Electrochemical Li-deinsertion/insertion studies show that high first charge capacities (between ca.160 and 180 mA h g−1) corresponding to ca.2/3 of theoretical capacity are reached albeit, in both cases, capacity retention and cyclability are not satisfactory. Chapter 2.2 presents a study of new ruthenium containing LLOs, Li3MRuO5 (M = Co and Ni). Both the oxides crystallize in the layered LLO type LiCoO2 (α-NaFeO2) structure consisting of Li[Li0.2M0.4Ru0.4]O2 layers. Magnetic susceptibility data suggest that the oxidation states of transition metals are Li3Co3+Ru4+O5 for the M = Co compound and Li3Ni2+Ru5+O5 for the M = Ni compound. Electrochemical investigations of lithium deintercalation–intercalation behaviour reveal that both Co and Ni phases exhibit attractive specific capacities of ca. 200 mA h g-1 at an average voltage of 4 V, that has been interpreted as due to the oxidation of Co3+ and Ru4+ in Li3CoRuO5 and Ni2+ to Ni4+ in the case of Li3NiRuO5. Thus, we find that ruthenium plays a favourable role in LLOs than in non-LLOs in stabilizing higher reversible electrochemical capacities. In Chapter 2.3, we describe the synthesis, crystal structure and lithium deinsertion–insertion electrochemistry of two new LLOs, Li3MRuO5 (M=Mn, Fe) which are analogs of the oxides described in Chapter 2.2. The Li3MnRuO5 oxide adopts a structure related to Li2MnO3 (C2/m), while the Li3FeRuO5 oxide adopts a near-perfect LiCoO2 (R-3m) structure. Lithium electrochemistry shows typical behaviour of LLOs for both oxides, where participation of oxide ions in the electrochemical processes is observed. A long first charge process with capacities of 240 mA h g-1 (2.3 Li per f.u.) and 144 mA h g-1 (1.38 Li per f.u.) is observed for Li3MnRuO5 and Li3FeRuO5, respectively. Further discharge–charge cycling points to partial reversibility. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) characterisation of both pristine and electrochemically oxidized Li3MRuO5 reveals that in the Li3MnRuO5 oxide, Mn3+ and Ru4+ are partially oxidized to Mn4+ and Ru5+ in the sloping region at low voltage, while in the long plateau, O2- is also oxidized. In the Li3FeRuO5 oxide, the oxidation process appears to affect only Ru (4+ to 5+ in the sloping region) and O2- (plateau), while Fe seems to retain its 3+ state. Another characteristic feature of TMs is formation of several coloured solid materials where d–d transitions, band gap transitions and charge transfer transitions are involved in the colouration mechanism. Coloured TM oxides absorbing visible light find important applications as visible light photocatalyst (for example, yellow BiVO4 for solar water splitting and red Sr1-xNbO3 for oxidation of methylene blue) and inorganic pigments [for example, Egyptian blue (CaCuSi4O10), Malachite green (Cu2CO3(OH)2), Ochre red (Fe2O3)]. Pigments are applied as colouring materials in inks, dyes, paints, plastics, ceramic glazers, enamels and textiles. In this thesis, we have focused on the coloured TM oxides for possible application as inorganic pigments. Generally, colours arise from electronic transitions that absorb visible light. Colours of the inorganic pigments arise mainly from electronic transitions involving TM ions in various ligand fields and charge transfer transitions governed by different selection rules. The ligand field d–d transitions are parity forbidden but are relaxed due to various reasons, such as distortion (absence of center of inversion) and vibronic coupling. The d-electrons can be excited by light absorption in the visible region of the spectrum imparting colour to the material. Charge transfer transitions in the visible region are not restricted by the parity selection rules and therefore give intense colours. Here we have investigated the colours of manganese in unusual oxidation state (Mn5+) as well as the colours of different 3d-TM ions in distorted octahedral and trigonal prismatic sites in appropriate colourless crystalline host oxides. These results are discussed in Part 3 of the thesis. In Chapter 3.1, we describe a blue/green inorganic material, Ba3(P1−xMnxO4)2 (I) based on tetrahedral Mn5+O4 :3d2 chromophore. The solid solutions (I) which are sky-blue and turquoise-blue for x ≤ 0•25 and dark green for x ≥ 0•50, are readily synthesized in air from commonly available starting materials, stabilizing the Mn5+O4 chromophore in an isostructural phosphate host. We suggest that the covalency/ionicity of P–O/Mn–O bonds in the solid solutions tunes the crystal field strength around Mn(V) such that a blue colour results for materials with small values of x. The material could serve as a nontoxic blue/green inorganic pigment. In Chapter 3.2, an experimental investigation of the stabilization of the turquoise-coloured Mn5+O4 chromophore in various oxide hosts, viz., A3(VO4)2 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca), YVO4, and Ba2MO4 (M = Ti, Si), has been carried out. The results reveal that substitution of Mn5+O4 occurs in Ba3(VO4)2 forming the entire solid solution series Ba3(V1−xMnxO4)2 (0 < x ≤ 1.0), while, with the corresponding strontium derivative, only up to about 10% of Mn5+O4 substitution is possible. Ca3(VO4)2 and YVO4 do not stabilize Mn5+O4 at all. With Ba2MO4 (M = Ti, Si), we could prepare only partially substituted materials, Ba2M1−xMn5+xO4+x/2 for x up to 0.15, that are turquoise-coloured. We rationalize the results that a large stabilization of the O 2p-valence band states occurs in the presence of the electropositive barium that renders the Mn5+ oxidation state accessible in oxoanion compounds containing PO43−, VO43−, etc. By way of proof-of-concept, we synthesized new turquoise-coloured Mn5+O4 materials, Ba5(BO3)(MnO4)2Cl and Ba5(BO3)(PO4)(MnO4)Cl, based on the apatite – Ba5(PO4)3Cl – structure. Chapter 3.3 discusses crystal structures, and optical absorption spectra/colours of 3d-transition metal substituted lyonsite type oxides, Li3Al1-xMIIIx(MoO4)3 (0< x ≤1.0) (MIII = Cr, Fe) and Li3-xAl1-xMII2x(MoO4)3 (0< x ≤1.0) (MII = Co, Ni, Cu). Crystal structures determined from Rietveld refinement of PXRD data reveal that in the smaller trivalent metal substituted lyonsite oxides, MIII ions occupy the octahedral (8d, 4c) sites and the lithium ions exclusively occur at the trigonal prismatic (4c) site in the orthorhombic (Pnma) structure; on the other hand, larger divalent cations (CoII/CuII) substituted derivatives show occupancy of CoII/CuII ions at both the octahedral and trigonal prismatic sites. We have investigated the colours and optical absorption spectra of Li3Al1-xMIIIx(MoO4)3 (MIII = Cr, Fe) and Li3-xAl1-xMII2x(MoO4)3 (MII = Co, Ni, Cu) and interpreted the results in terms of average crystal field strengths experienced by MIII/MII ions at multiple coordination geometries. We have also identified the role of metal-to-metal charge transfer (MMCT) from the partially filled transition metal 3d orbitals to the empty Mo – 4d orbitals in the resulting colours of these oxides. B The ABO3 perovskite structure consists of a three dimensional framework of corner shared BO6 octahedra in which large A cation occupies dodecahedral site, surrounded by twelve oxide ions. The ideal cubic structure occurs when the Goldschmidt’s tolerance factor, t = (rA + rO)/{√2(rB + rO)}, adopts a value of unity and the A–O and B–O bond distances are perfectly matched. The BO6 octahedra tilt and bend the B – O – B bridges co-operatively to adjust for the non-ideal size of A cations, resulting deviation from ideal cubic structure to lower symmetries. Ordering of cations at the A and B sites of perovskite structure is an important phenomenon. Ordering of site cations in double (A2BB'O6) and multiple (A3BB'2O9) perovskites give rise to newer and interesting materials properties. Depending upon the constituent transition metals and ordering, double perovskite oxides exhibit a variety of magnetic behaviour such as ferromagnetism, ferrimagnetism, antiferromagnetism, spin-glass magnetism and so on. We also have coupled magnetic properties such as magnetoresistance (Sr2FeMoO6), magnetodielectric (La2NiMnO6) and magnetooptic (Sr2CrWO6) behaviour. Here we have investigated new magnetically frustrated double perovskite oxides of the formula Ln3B2RuO9(B = Co, Ni and Ln = La, Nd). The Chapter 4.1 describes Ln3B2RuO9 (B = Co, Ni and Ln = La, Nd) oxides (prepared by a solid state metathesis route) which adopt a monoclinic (P21/n) A2BB'O6 double perovskite structure, wherein the two independent octahedral 2c and 2d sites are occupied by B2+ and (B2+1/3Ru5+2/3) atoms, respectively. Temperature dependence of the molar magnetic susceptibility plots obtained under zero field cooled (ZFC) condition exhibit maxima in the temperature range 25–35K, suggesting an antiferromagnetic interaction in all these oxides. Ln3B2RuO9 oxides show spin-glass behavior and no long-range magnetic order is found down to 2 K. The results reveal the importance of competing nearest neighbour (NN), next nearest neighbor (NNN) and third nearest neighbour (third NN) interactions between the magnetic Ni2+/Co2+ and Ru5+ atoms in the partially ordered double perovskite structure that conspire to thwart the expected ferromagnetic order in these materials.