Nanoscale mapping of ion diffusion in a lithium-ion battery cathode

N. Balke, S. Jesse, A. N. Morozovska, E. Eliseev, D. W. Chung, Y. Kim, L. Adamczyk, R. E. García, N. Dudney, S. V. Kalinin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

518 Scopus citations

Abstract

The movement of lithium ions into and out of electrodes is central to the operation of lithium-ion batteries. Although this process has been extensively studied at the device level, it remains insufficiently characterized at the nanoscale level of grain clusters, single grains and defects. Here, we probe the spatial variation of lithium-ion diffusion times in the battery-cathode material LiCoO2 at a resolution of ∼100 nm by using an atomic force microscope to both redistribute lithium ions and measure the resulting cathode deformation. The relationship between diffusion and single grains and grain boundaries is observed, revealing that the diffusion coefficient increases for certain grain orientations and single-grain boundaries. This knowledge provides feedback to improve understanding of the nanoscale mechanisms underpinning lithium-ion battery operation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)749-754
Number of pages6
JournalNature Nanotechnology
Volume5
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2010

Funding

Research was sponsored as part of the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport (FIRST) Center, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award Number ERKCC61 (N.B., L.A., N.D., S.V.K.) and part of the Scientific User Facilities Division, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S. Department of Energy in the projects CNMS2010-098 and CNMS2010-099 (N.B., S.J., I.N.I.). N.B. also acknowledges the Alexander von Humboldt foundation. R.E.G. and D.W.C. are grateful for the support provided by NSF grant CMMI 0856491.

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