Correlative Characterization of Li-S Batteries Using \emph{In situ} TXM and XRD

ORAL

Abstract

Sulfur is an attractive Li-ion battery cathode material candidate because of its high specific energy (2600 Wh/kg); however, it is well known that Li-S batteries suffer from capacity loss or fading. It is generally accepted that this is due to the loss of active material and the formation of nonconducting Li$_2$S as a thin film coating the electrode. Both phenomena stem from the dissolution of active sulfur particles in the non-aqueous electrolyte as soluble long chain polysulfides form during the early stages of cell discharge. Using \emph{in situ}, high resolution transmission X-ray microscopy (TXM) at SSRL beam line 6-2 and \emph{in situ} X-ray diffraction (XRD) at beam line 11-3, we have explored initial discharge and charge cycle of Li-S batteries in real time. By combining these complementary methods, we can characterize the morphological changes of the active material as well as changes in crystallinity and crystal structure. We can then correlate these changes and the electrochemistry to better understand the reduction of elemental sulfur and various adaptations employed to retain battery capacity over many cycles.

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Authors

  • Johanna Nelson

    Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK

  • G.V. Brown

    Department of Physics at CSU, Fresno, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Nanoelectronics Research Institute, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, University of Tokyo, Cornell University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Suranaree University of Technology, Shandong University, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, UC Davis, CSU Dominguez Hills, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, UC Berkeley, ANL, UChicago/ANL, UManitoba, Northwestern U/ANL, LLNL, UCB/LLNL, McGill U, McGill U/ANL, University of Nevada, Reno, Hitachi Global Storage Technology, Advanced Light Source, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Materials Science and Engineering, Stanford University, Radiation Oncology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Missouri University of Science and Technology, International Institute of Physics, University of Missouri, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Department of Physics, California State University, Fresno, California, California State University Long Beach, BNL, IWF Dresden, Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA, University of California, Merced, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier, IN2P3 (France), SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory/Stanford University/KIPAC, University of Perugia, University of Washington, CEA/Saclay, UNR, UNM, UCSD, RAL, ILE, MIT, LANL, LLE, NRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Max Born Institut, Hiroshima University, Western Michigan University, MPIK