In situ SEM study of lithium intercalation in individual V2O5 nanowires

Evgheni Strelcov, Joshua Cothren, Donovan Leonard, Albina Y. Borisevich, Andrei Kolmakov

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

Progress in rational engineering of Li-ion batteries requires better understanding of the electrochemical processes and accompanying transformations in the electrode materials on multiple length scales. In spite of recent progress in utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to analyze these materials, in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was mostly overlooked as a powerful tool that allows probing these phenomena on the nano and mesoscale. Here we report on in situ SEM study of lithiation in a V2O5-based single-nanobelt battery with ionic liquid electrolyte. Coupled with cyclic voltammetry measurements, in situ SEM revealed the peculiarities of subsurface intercalation, formation of a solid-electrolyte interface (SEI) and electromigration of liquid. We observed that single-crystalline vanadia nanobelts do not undergo large-scale amorphization or fracture during electrochemical cycling, but rather transform topochemically with only a slight shape distortion. The SEI layer seems to have significant influence on the lithium ion diffusion and overall capacity of the single-nanobelt battery.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3022-3027
Number of pages6
JournalNanoscale
Volume7
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 21 2015

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Stroke FoundationECCS-0925837
U.S. Department of Energy

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