Robust Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Lithium in Battery Materials by Center-of-Mass Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Michael J. Zachman; Zhenzhong Yang; Yingge Du; Miaofang Chi

doi:10.1021/acsnano.1c09374

Robust Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Lithium in Battery Materials by Center-of-Mass Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Michael J. Zachman, Zhenzhong Yang, Yingge Du, Miaofang Chi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

The performance of energy storage materials is often governed by their structure at the atomic scale. Conventional electron microscopy can provide detailed information about materials at these length scales, but direct imaging of light elements such as lithium presents a challenge. While several recent techniques allow lithium columns to be distinguished, these typically either involve complex contrast mechanisms that make image interpretation difficult or require significant expertise to perform. Here, we demonstrate how center-of-mass scanning transmission electron microscopy (CoM-STEM) provides an enhanced ability for simultaneous imaging of lithium and heavier element columns in lithium ion conductors. Through a combination of experiments and multislice electron scattering calculations, we show that CoM-STEM is straightforward to perform and produces directly interpretable contrast for thin samples, while being more robust to variations in experimental parameters than previously demonstrated techniques. As a result, CoM-STEM is positioned to become a reliable and facile method for directly probing all elements within energy storage materials at the atomic scale.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1358-1367
Number of pages	10
Journal	ACS Nano
Volume	16
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsnano.1c09374
State	Published - Jan 25 2022

Funding

M.C. was supported by DOE Basic Energy Sciences early career award ERKCZ55 and M.J.Z. by the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, a DOE Office of Science User Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. LiCoO thin film growth by Z.Y. and Y.D. was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES), Early Career Research Program under award number 68278. 2 Work supported by DOE Basic Energy Sciences early career award ERKCZ55. The experimental and simulated electron microscopy was conducted at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, which is a DOE Office of Science User Facility.

Keywords

4D-STEM
Li-ion battery materials
atomic-resolution lithium imaging
center-of-mass imaging
differential phase contrast

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1021/acsnano.1c09374

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abstract = "The performance of energy storage materials is often governed by their structure at the atomic scale. Conventional electron microscopy can provide detailed information about materials at these length scales, but direct imaging of light elements such as lithium presents a challenge. While several recent techniques allow lithium columns to be distinguished, these typically either involve complex contrast mechanisms that make image interpretation difficult or require significant expertise to perform. Here, we demonstrate how center-of-mass scanning transmission electron microscopy (CoM-STEM) provides an enhanced ability for simultaneous imaging of lithium and heavier element columns in lithium ion conductors. Through a combination of experiments and multislice electron scattering calculations, we show that CoM-STEM is straightforward to perform and produces directly interpretable contrast for thin samples, while being more robust to variations in experimental parameters than previously demonstrated techniques. As a result, CoM-STEM is positioned to become a reliable and facile method for directly probing all elements within energy storage materials at the atomic scale.",

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N2 - The performance of energy storage materials is often governed by their structure at the atomic scale. Conventional electron microscopy can provide detailed information about materials at these length scales, but direct imaging of light elements such as lithium presents a challenge. While several recent techniques allow lithium columns to be distinguished, these typically either involve complex contrast mechanisms that make image interpretation difficult or require significant expertise to perform. Here, we demonstrate how center-of-mass scanning transmission electron microscopy (CoM-STEM) provides an enhanced ability for simultaneous imaging of lithium and heavier element columns in lithium ion conductors. Through a combination of experiments and multislice electron scattering calculations, we show that CoM-STEM is straightforward to perform and produces directly interpretable contrast for thin samples, while being more robust to variations in experimental parameters than previously demonstrated techniques. As a result, CoM-STEM is positioned to become a reliable and facile method for directly probing all elements within energy storage materials at the atomic scale.

AB - The performance of energy storage materials is often governed by their structure at the atomic scale. Conventional electron microscopy can provide detailed information about materials at these length scales, but direct imaging of light elements such as lithium presents a challenge. While several recent techniques allow lithium columns to be distinguished, these typically either involve complex contrast mechanisms that make image interpretation difficult or require significant expertise to perform. Here, we demonstrate how center-of-mass scanning transmission electron microscopy (CoM-STEM) provides an enhanced ability for simultaneous imaging of lithium and heavier element columns in lithium ion conductors. Through a combination of experiments and multislice electron scattering calculations, we show that CoM-STEM is straightforward to perform and produces directly interpretable contrast for thin samples, while being more robust to variations in experimental parameters than previously demonstrated techniques. As a result, CoM-STEM is positioned to become a reliable and facile method for directly probing all elements within energy storage materials at the atomic scale.

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Robust Atomic-Resolution Imaging of Lithium in Battery Materials by Center-of-Mass Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy

Abstract

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Keywords

UN SDGs

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